Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Time
by SongOfStars
Summary: POA as an AU: "Go for the girl, not the Rat!" When Sirius escapes Azkaban & heads for Hogwarts to kill Peter, he is shocked by a message of a way out of Peter's mess...from the most unlikely messenger. J/L pairing
1. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Time**

**Disclaimers: **I don't own anything, not even a Time-turner.

**AN:** _**NOT**_ PART OF MY _**"Legacy" **_SERIES! THIS IS A STAND-ALONE/SEPARATE STORY!

Based upon _**"Prisoner Of Azkaban"**_ but with a change of events. An AU, part of this is also set back in the Marauder's time. Based on an idea that's been nagging me for years since I first saw the movie but had to work out one major problem. Thanks to the final book, I know now how to work out that problem! Glad I waited.

**Summary:** POA as an AU: "Go for the girl, not the Rat!" When Sirius escapes Azkaban & heads for Hogwarts to kill Peter, he is shocked by a message of a way out of Peter's mess...from the most unlikely messenger.

**(1) The Messenger**

Padfoot thought he had never run so fast as he dodged through the great trees of the Forbidden Dark Forest by his old school, Hogwarts Castle. Twelve years. He had waited twelve years for this! Peter was so close, he would not escape this time.

Assuming Moony would EVER leave him alone. Curse the blessed werewolf's heart; but Remus was really starting to get on Padfoot's nerves. Merlin he was fast in human form! Padfoot tripped & went spinning nose over tail down a hill. He landed with a loud splat in a stream. Perhaps it was fortunate since Remus had fired yet another hex at the black dog & only by tripping was Padfoot saved.

Sirius had not planned on meeting his werewolf like this. Damn Dumbledore! Of all years to give that werewolf a job; he just HAD to pick this year. The moment Padfoot noticed Remus who was now a Dark Arts Defence Professor of Hogwarts; he had been overjoyed. The next moment, he had crashed into a depression. Facing the wrath of Moony on top of trying to catch Peter while at the same time dodging Dementors was just too much to handle. His strength had already been siphoned off through years at the horrid prison.

His first thought was to confront the Wolf, show him the picture, let Remus know—it is Peter, not he, who was to blame. But a single accidental encounter had changed that. Sirius was shattered to see that look in his werewolf's eyes. Hate. Pure & evil from hell itself. Remus hated him. Sirius couldn't blame him. Peter had spun his lies perfectly. But the unplanned run-in had put the Moon Dog on edge ever since. There was no getting near Remus without having Aveda Kedavra shoved up his arse.

Padfoot picked himself out of the water & ran again. He stayed in the stream, running along, following its course winding through the Dark Forest towards the lake. Remus skidded to a stop by the edge & glanced up & down but Padfoot was gone, black fur blended into the constant night that settled into the forest.

"Black?" Remus sniffed on both sides but couldn't pick up the scent. "If I see you again I'll kill you! You hear me? I'll bloody KILL you!"

The voice echoed through the woods. Padfoot stopped cantering downstream & paused to look back, one front paw raised in mid-step. He couldn't stand the hate even though it was to be expected. Merlin knew that Padfoot should have expected the hate. But it was still a kick in the gut. Padfoot hurried on his way once more.

The stream came out into a bog, which then emptied into the side of the Black Lake by Hogwarts. Padfoot stopped running & collapsed on a patch of hard ground at the edge of the bog. He lay, panting. He had run hard for a long time & it nearly killed him. As his breath slowed down, Padfoot curled up in a more comfortable position & put nose down onto his front paws. Harry. Think of Harry. His Godson was so big now. Sirius had missed so much of his life, while Peter had been right there for a few years. It wasn't fair. The dog whimpered softly, crying. His mission was starting to seem impossible. Dementors everywhere. Moony's ever watchful protection over Harry. Padfoot was grateful for that much. If Peter tried anything against Harry Potter now, Remus would notice. Then—finally—perhaps Moony would shut up & listen. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late. Everything could go so wrong, so fast.

Something like the twang of a spring being pulled sounded out to his left. Then another twang. Soon, a few more twangs could be heard, along with squelching as if something was hopping around in the mud of the bog. Slightly annoyed, Padfoot raised his head, only to stare through a smoky haze no matter which way he looked. He could see several tiny lanterns swing back & forth, making a circle around his bed. The lanterns were held up by the fog itself.

Great! Bloody hinkypunks! Fantastic. Padfoot sighed, wishing he had a wand right now. The best way to get rid of the beasts was a well-placed Lumos & a few choice words. They weren't overly dangerous unless one followed them into the bogs. They liked to lead one astray to be stuck & possible drown out there. But as Padfoot had no plans to enter the bog, he had no worry. They were nothing more than pests at the moment. The 'twang-twang' of their hops. The squeaks. The lanterns flickering. Oh well. Padfoot stood up then lay back on his forelegs while sticking his haunches in the air. He stretched & yawned widely. The hinkypunks became excited. Was this fake-dog going to follow them to his death? Oh yes! They could sense the wizarding power oozing from the beast.

Padfoot looked bored. He stood up on all fours then suddenly whirled around & barked viciously. They twanged backwards a few times. With an arrogant snort, Padfoot disappointed them by heading back up the stream a bit. He then cut to his right & trotted at an easy pace towards the castle again, keeping a wary eye out for Remus.

Remus was actually ahead of him. Padfoot dove into the bushes as he watched Remus pass through the Circle Of Stones to cross the long covered bridge on his way back to the castle. Remus disappeared behind a few tall trees beyond the far end of the bridge. Though the sun shone brightly, the Dementors left a chill everywhere they went. Padfoot sighed & began his decent down into the gorge far below that bridge. He had watched Remus & Harry standing halfway across it several weeks ago. They seemed to be striking up a close companionship. Back then, Padfoot had high hopes that perhaps the three of them could work together. Now he realised more than ever just how so very alone he was at the moment. Padfoot headed down the steep narrow stairs to the boathouse. He slipped into one of the little boats, under the cover & curled up, nose tip under tail tip. He had to sleep. Moony had worn him out so much it was a wonder he didn't have a heart attack. Crying softly, Padfoot fell into a doze. The hate from Moony was a living nightmare. His heart was pounding too hard to be healthy. Moony really had stressed him out. Padfoot tried desperately to sleep, ignoring the thudding in his chest.

"Hello Messr Padfoot."

Padfoot's eyes snapped open. Had he been discovered? He had only been here a moment or two. Rolling his eyes upward, he noticed he was still under covers. He tried to get up without rocking the boat.

"There's no need for stealth, Padfoot. I know you're in the second boat from the left."

Padfoot gulped. How the hell did he manage to betray himself? That voice was not Remus. Peter? Had Peter found him? But would Peter be so stupid as to expose himself now, knowing Sirius was here to kill him? The arrogance! Padfoot burst out of the boat, fangs bared & claws protruding.

Nothing. No one!

Padfoot whirled around, scanning the little dock & the great lake beyond. Tentacles lazily flared about. He stopped growling & sat on his tail. Now unless the Giant Squid suddenly spoke English, there was no one there to say anything. Or had he dreamed it?

"Good. You're finally out & about."

Guess not. Padfoot bit his paw until it hurt. Nope. Definitely not a dream.

"You're going for the wrong thing, old friend."

This could only be Peter. Padfoot transformed. "I am no friend of yours you murderer! Come out Peter! Time to play."

"Peter? Oh. I forgot about him. It's been so long. I'm not Peter."

"Well you're not Remus & you're not Harry!" Sirius shot back, quickly glancing around for the Dementors. He could see a few floating around the grounds between Hagrid's hut & the castle. "I know their voices. I've always known Moony's voice."

"If you'd stop being so defensive, I can come out."

"Oh you think I'm stupid?"

"Definitely."

Sirius blanched at the honesty. Was that a snicker he heard? "How will it be? The Death Curse?"

"No."

"How many Dementors do you have with you?"

"None."

"Like I can believe that," Sirius huffed. "It wasn't me, you kn—who told you my name was Padf—oh Remus!" Another betrayal, this time from his very own werewolf. It hurt. Merlin how it hurt. Must he always be in pain?

"Nope, you did. Long long time ago."

"Who are you then?" Sirius shouted, spinning around trying to see who was talking to him.

"Can I come out now? Don't hurt me. I won't hurt you, ok?"

"Just show yourself!"

"Alright. I'll come out in a moment but first I must tell you, this is the ONLY day we can connect, so please listen to me."

Sirius crossed his arms. "You're trying my patience."

"I'm sorry Padfoot, but this is very important."

"Fine. Hurry up!" Sirius huffed. He waited. There was a silence broken only by a soft clicking of something hitting the stone floor of the boathouse. Sirius had the growing sensation that something large & in charge was breathing down his neck. He turned around. "Wha...?" He could only stare. "Who...how...what?"

The great Stag lowered his head. A thirty-point spread all but touched either side of the boathouse. Both hands clasped over his heart, Sirius fell to his knees as the Stag changed. "Forgive the fright old friend."

"...James..." Sirius croaked.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I killed you both. I'm so sorry!" Sirius pressed his face to the floor unable to halt the tears. "Sweet Merlin forgive me! I never meant to kill you!"

James reached down & petted his friend's head. That hand. It felt...solid. Sirius slowly raised his head, wiping tears only to replace them with new ones. "On your side I am dead. On my side, I am not."

"Ah yes, when we cross over. It's different over there...isn't it?"

"Very," James agreed.

Sirius bowed his head as he burst into tears again. "Moony hates me so much! Please! Prongs! Tell him. Peter is here."

"On your side, Moony hates you. On my side he does not."

Sirius stopped crying & stared at James. "Is Remus dead? Did Peter kill him?"

"Padfoot, look at me!" James held out his hands. "I'm not dead. Neither is Remus. Or Lily."

Sirius felt the hands. Solid. Flesh! "Now just what in the fuck is going on?"

James smiled his evil wicked grin. "The Marauders are nearly done pulling their greatest trick yet. You however, have to start it off," He sighed dramatically. "Then of course, finish it."

"What?" Sirius glared. Polyjuice potion. It had to be Polyjuice. "Wormtail! How DARE you take the form of James! I can't believe you'd use Polyjuice."

James shrugged exasperatedly. "That can change my human form but never my Animagus. Padfoot it's me. Prongs. Peter could never do Prongs. He was Wormtail the Rat. Polyjuice can't affect that."

"You're making that up! James is dead!"

"On your side but not here on my side."

"What does that mean then?" Sirius demanded.

"Remember what I just said? This is the only day we can connect."

"Yeah...ok."

"When I'm talking about sides, I'm not talking about death but time."

"Time?"

"You're going for the wrong thing Padfoot," James insisted. "Go for the girl, not the Rat."

"What girl? What are you talking about? THAT RAT IS A MONSTER!"

"I know," James rubbed his brow. "Look we don't have a lot of time. The girl Harry & his friend Ron hang out with. Go for her."

"I don't want to kill some girl! James would NEV—"

"Not kill her," James cut in, exasperated. "She has something very special around her neck. Get that & you can save Lily & I. You did. I'm here, aren't I?"

Sirius gritted his teeth. "What is going on?"

"The two timelines merge on this day, Padfoot."

"Timelines? Timelines!"

"Yes, since this is the day our biggest trick was initiated & had better be finished," James went on. "Right now, we are all here." He held up the map. "There are in fact, two of you at the moment. You from your half of the time loop & the Sirius Black from my half."

"Right. Ok. I'm not talking to you any more," Sirius made as if to leave.

"Padfoot, I've got the damn map! Look," James showed him.

Sirius glanced around & noticed Dementors over the lake at the far end. "The Dementors are going to find me soon. I should go."

"Hmm they're the reason it's a cold day today," James mused. "See, we don't have Dementors on this side. You do. But the coldness is there on both sides. We're calling it bad weather. Even though I know about them, none of us here can see the Dementors. Not my timeline. You & I know the most of what's truly going on. "

"I don't know anything about what's going on!" Sirius shot back. He snatched the map.

"Your other self is in the Great Hall," James said.

Sirius looked at the place & sure enough, another Sirius Black showed up. He checked the boathouse & saw his name. Again. "This is mad. This is absolutely madding!"

"Awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time," James said.

"MEDDLE WITH TIME?!"

"Yes, but as Marauders, it's our job to break every rule," James sighed. "I've told you all I can. Get the girl not the Rat. Oh & once you're on the other side, be sure to give me two letters," James handed over an envelope. "That one's from me now to my younger self, explaining what to do. You also need to write me a letter explaining exactly how I died here. Every detail Padfoot. It's important."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to meddle with time, Padfoot," James said. "I want you to fix it. Same events, different results."

"Why?"

"Voldemort."

"What does he have to do with anything?"

"Harry."

"Prongs!" Sirius moaned.

"What did Harry do to Voldemort Padfoot? 'Siriusly' can you not figure it out?"

"NO!"

James rubbed his brow & huffed. "Look, the world is at peace right now since my son destroyed Voldemort as a baby."

"You & Lily paid for that with your lives."

"I have no intention of letting her or myself die the second time around," James said. "I have a plan to get us all out safely AND destroy Voldemort again but it won't work unless you give me details of that night right down to the last blood drop spilled on the carpet. I know you remember it."

"Like yesterday," Sirius sniffed.

"Good," James said. "Now go get the girl. I'll see you shortly. Well from my point of view. Remember, you can NOT be seen by anyone. Not all Marauders know what's going on just yet. We've tried to keep Time as pure as possible so it was on a need-to-know basis. So be careful." At that, he took the map back & stuffed an old familiar looking cloak inside his jacket. So that's how a voice was heard but not seen. Then Prongs appeared & the great Stag bounded away.

"You've got to be kidding me!"


	2. Chapter 2

**(2) Hermione's Secret**

Sirius transformed & ran after the Stag. It disappeared from view. Padfoot stopped. He had to have imagined it. But no! There was the Stag again, charging up a hill. He dashed sideways hoping to cut in front of the Stag. Then he saw Remus in one of the gardens of the entrance courtyard & on his right arm was a redheaded woman. Lily?

Right behind them was a Dementor. Padfoot watched as Lily shivered. The Dementor merely went through her, unknowing of the merged timelines. Lily never even saw the creature.

Get the girl. Padfoot turned towards the castle, glancing back over his shoulder. He decided then & there that Azkaban had driven him insane. They were dead. The murderer was here. Somewhere. Get it together.

"Well I better get ready for the next lesson," Remus was saying. "My students should be nearly finished Charms by n—why hello Padfoot," Remus cooed in a sickly sweet voice, grinning evilly. "How are you?" The black dog froze, locking eyes with Remus. "I thought you were in the Great Hall." Remus shrugged it off & headed on towards the door, Lily close behind.

James came up last & turned to glare at the dog. He made a cutting motion across his throat. He hissed between gritted teeth. "What part of remain unseen do you not understand? YOU IDIOT!" James kicked the dog square on the nose. Padfoot scooted back into the bushes. "Stay there! Out of sight. Until we're in the Great Hall. What is WRONG with you? You can NOT screw this up Padfoot! All our lives depend on it!" At that James turned sharply & ran towards the door. He stopped short, stood straight & tugged at his robes. Then as dignified as he could, he entered & disappeared from sight.

Padfoot held his snout with both front paws. That was no ghost that had kicked him. Sweet Merlin, James Potter kicked like a freaking mule! Was this actually real? He slunk into the castle, tail between his legs. James was going to die for that one! Grr!

One door to the Great Hall stood partly ajar. Padfoot hurried towards it & peered in. His jaw ended up on the floor. There stood Lily with James. Right beside them was himself. Another Sirius Black. In human form. While Dementors swarmed the castle looking for him. Padfoot watched as the other Sirius Black merely pulled his cloak a bit more firmly around him.

"Merlin's Curse it's a cool day today," that other Sirius complained.

"I don't understand why it's so cold, what with all that sun out there," Lily agreed.

Padfoot twisted his head curiously. Which other Marauders knew or not? Padfoot shook his head & trotted away. What the hell had he gotten himself into now? He headed for the door to the Charms classroom & sat on his tail, thinking. What did that girl—Hermione—have that James was so persistent about? The students soon came pouring out & Padfoot caught sight of Harry & Ron. But no girl.

"I haven't seen Hermione at all," Harry said. "She's supposed to be here."

"Last time I saw her was in the Common Room," Ron put in. "Lupin's class is next. Perhaps we should go to the Common Room to look for her?"

"Good idea," Harry said, turning around to lead the way. "Oof!" He flipped right over a black dog. "Padfoot! What are you doing? Shove off!" Harry pushed him away. "Aren't you supposed to be in the Great Hall with Mom & Dad?"

Remain unseen. Padfoot cross-rolled his eyes as Harry slowly stood up rubbing his behind & shoulder. Padfoot turned & ran for the Gryffindor Tower. He had to get to that girl before the boys did.

He trotted up to the Fat Lady. It was insane. She didn't let him in last time & he had attacked her. Where was the Knight? Or did he not replace her on this side? This was so insane. He shifted to Sirius. "Fortuna Major."

"My my my Sirius. What did you get up to?" The Fat Lady stared at him. "You're a right ugly sight today."

"Wha…oh!" Sirius looked down at his prison suit. "Marauder's prank gone horribly wrong. Never mind. Fortuna Major."

"Alright go in but do stop by the nearest bath soon." The Fat Lady swung open. Just like that.

There she lay, head on books, fast asleep. Sirius stepped up to her & stared. Examining her. Then he saw it, the gold chain. He slowly pulled it out. A pendant dangled from it. He put one hand on either side of the pendant, grasping the gold chain & tugged. It snapped & he pulled it away. Sirius touched the pendant with one finger, letting it twist one way then back again. It was a tiny hourglass with actual sand in it; though the sand was unmoving. "A Time-Turner? I've read about these things but..." The power in his hand, worth more than a wand.

Should he? COULD he? Well obviously he could. James was here was he not? But how? Twelve years! Nay, more than twelve. He had to go back before Peter started scheming or it would be too late. Sirius thought hard. Seventh Year. He should go back to Seventh Year. He cradled the tiny thing in his hand, crying softly. Could he really save them all? Avoid Azkaban? Erase all those horrid memories of cold & loneliness? It was too good to be true. He put the chain around his neck & tied off the broken ends. How many turns? Well he'll just go back bit by bit. That's all. Heart pounding, he put a hand on the hourglass just as the door creaked open. Sirius looked up meeting the eyes of someone but it was too late, the timeline faded away.

It felt like it took forever. Sirius turned the hourglass, then turned it some more. Years went by. Gryffindor Common Room changed. Furniture moved around or was replaced.

Or even disappeared.

Students of all ages came & went. Crowds of First Years. Gangs of Quidditch Teams. Sirius kept checking on the calendar by the board. The dates were going backwards. He couldn't believe it. It suddenly flipped into their Seventh Year. Sirius slowed down the spinning. He had been working it furiously. Now he had to fine-tune his appearance to when the Common Room was empty.

Glancing around, he began to see familiar faces. Remus suddenly appeared before him. A young Remus, lying sprawled out on the couch. Sirius almost forgot to keep turning but remembering the hate Remus had for him, he kept going. This may be the 17 year old werewolf pup, but Sirius wasn't taking any chances. What if this was some Dark work that he had fallen for? Whatever! Sirius was desperate to fix his mistake & he jumped at any chance to do so. He turned slowly, rewinding time into the night & then back some more.

Finally. The Common Room was clear & silent one night. Sirius stood still, his mind still spinning. "What have I done?" He collapsed into the couch that the young Remus had been lying on…or will be lying on…a few days from now.

He sat there most of the night, thinking hard. A weak light began to filter in. Sirius transformed as he heard others starting to get up & meander down into the Common Room. Padfoot moved over to the side & hid under a table that had been covered with a dark blue tablecloth which hung down almost to the floor. He peered out a little from time to time to see what was going on. As the morning brightened, Padfoot saw many faces he had known. From Frank Longbottom & his girlfriend Alice, to a few of his own ex-girlfriends. Then Lily Po—Evans herself, came down chatting with at least three other girls, all of which Sirius dimly remembered sleeping with at one time or another. What? He was sexually deprived for twelve years. He couldn't help but notice.

Padfoot followed the group of girls out the Portrait & then dashed off under a tapestry behind which was a false wall. Feeling only a little resistance, Padfoot pushed through into the hidden passage that was a shortcut between the top floor & the second floor far down below. No moving staircases & it cut the time almost in half.

Padfoot trotted forward & winded his way downward from platform to platform. He stepped off the stairs onto the third platform & pricked his ears forward. He could hear laughter ahead. Right. Of course! The pack had discovered this passage a long time ago. He heard James boasting about another episode with 'Snivelus' (How did that git ever become a Hogwart's professor anyway?) while Remus, Peter & his younger self laughed along. Padfoot gulped & glanced around. Peering over the edge of the platform, he saw a drop of a few hundred feet. The voices were coming closer. Padfoot transformed & heaved himself over the edge. He grabbed hold of a long wooden beam criss-crossed with another one under the platform. Sirius pulled himself further into the supports & sat between joints where another wooden beam was nailed together to form a corner. He waited.

The four young Marauders were suddenly on top of him. Sirius put one hand over his mouth, hoping they couldn't hear his breathing. Four. Peter was right there above him! Only a solid wood & stone floor between them. He heard the group moving towards the next rise of stairs.

"_Excusez-moi__ (Excuse me),"_ Remus's French accent suddenly filtered down to him. He heard the Wolf pup skitter quickly across the floor. Damn his werewolf senses!

"Come on Moony," James whined. "I'm tired."

"_Non (No)!"_ Remus said sharply, holding up a hand. He got down on one knee, sniffing. He stood up again. "Padfoot."

"Yes?" Both asked at the same time. Sirius down below mentally kicked himself.

"I..." Remus stopped & looked around. He had heard a double voice.

"What?" The younger Sirius above finally demanded.

Remus turned a golden gaze on him. "You were just here. How can you be here & down the stairs with us at the same time?"

"Remus, put Moony to sleep now," the young Sirius stepped forward. The wood creaked, casting dust down onto his older self. "What are you talking about?"

"Padfoot," Remus continued to glare, keeping his inner Wolf still in his eyes. "Your trail is here. It goes right to the edge."

"We come up & down here all the time," Peter put in. (Peter! It was all the older Sirius could do to stop himself from clamouring up there to kill the Rat once & for all.) "Surely it's an older trail."

Remus shook his head. "_Non (No)."_

"Well look over the edge then if it makes you feel better," Peter offered.

Merlin did Sirius ever hate Peter!

"_Trés bien (Alright),"_ Remus agreed.

The Sirius below heard the creaking of wood & the clicks of boot heels on stone as Remus moved forward to the edge & knelt down. Got to be kidding me! Sirius REALLY hated Peter. He glanced around frantically & suddenly spied a doxy sleeping in a crack, wings tucked underneath its little blue & grey body as a bed. He grabbed it & just as Remus's hair dangled over as he leaned down to check, Sirius threw the squealing creature hard.

Remus recoiled with a barking yelp. "Great! Where there's one there's usually a whole nest!" Hardly had he said so when the air suddenly came alive with buzzing gossamer wings while swirls of blue-grey dashed about, taunting the Marauders.

"I told you we should have gone on," James complained, pulling out his wand. The other three Marauders followed suit. "For the Full Moon's sake you stupid Wolf! You just HAD to wake up a nest, didn't you?"

"_Je suis désolé (I'm sorry),"_ Remus muttered, not really caring. He was more interested in prising off a doxy that lodged itself into his hair. _"Ow ow OW! Descendez (Get off)!"_

"_Attention (Careful)!"_ The young Sirius exclaimed, using his friend's native tongue. _"__Piqûres__ doxy sont toxiques (Doxy bites are poisonous)."_

"_Ah ouais? Ainsi sont les morsures de loup-garou (Oh yeah? So are werewolf bites),"_ Remus snarled, fangs gritted, both hands clasped around the writhing little body trying to burrow into his hair. _"Jurez-Merlin si vous ne sortez pas de mes cheveux tout de suite (Swear to Merlin if you don't get out of my hair this instant)!"_ He pulled harder, ignoring the blood on his fingers from the bites. He was starting to see double.

Peter suddenly screamed. "Help! HELP GET ME DOWN!"

The three of them stared up. Peter was being lifted by half the horde of doxies flitting about, squealing madly. They threw anything they could grab, stones, sticks & even dirt, forcing the Marauders to duck & dodge at the same time as trying to cast magic.

Remus closed his eyes & with a frantic yip of pain, yanked the thing out. A few locks of his hair flew in the air as he threw it away. He pointed his wand straight up. "Aquis!" A jet of water shot out. That took care of the dust & drowned many of the doxies that were nearby. Peter came crashing down on top of James & Sirius. "Run! Up stairs now. They can't go through the barrier." His pack didn't need to be told twice. Remus fled upstairs behind them, leaving the remaining doxies behind to chatter & find someone else to wreak mayhem on.

"Let's get you to the hospital wing," Peter's fading voice said as the pack disappeared through the barrier.

Still hiding below, Sirius could hear the squeals of the doxies. Now he was stuck. He had to wait for them to settle before climbing up & shape-shifting back to Padfoot. This was the last time he planned on using this shortcut until he had sorted everything out. That had been far to close for comfort!


	3. Chapter 3

**(3) Reflection**

Once the doxies had settled again, Sirius hauled himself up & transformed. As Padfoot, he headed down into the bowels of the castle by using the lost passageways the Marauders had discovered in their time together. He came out in the kitchens. First things first. He was hungry. Azkaban barely fed one enough to keep them alive.

The Hogwart's house elves noticed how thin the black dog was & gathered the scraps together into a bowl. Padfoot came over, barked a thank-you & began gulping it down. One elf put her hand on his head to hold him back. "No, no. You'll make yourself sick. Eat slowly." She pulled the bowl away & then handed over one piece. Another elf sat beside her & they took turns handing out one piece at a time. A third elf brought over a bowl of warm milk that Padfoot finished next.

Padfoot glanced around, white milk dripping from his lower jaw. He yipped softly & trotted through the door, ending up outside. Padfoot stretched almost twice his length & headed into the barns where the unicorns that pulled sleighs at Christmas were kept. He fell fast asleep for the first time in years on a pile of soft hay.

It wasn't until late the next morning that Padfoot woke up. He mentally kicked himself. He didn't come here to sleep but to figure out how to fix everything. Oh but Merlin knew how good that sleep was. He decided that first he'd try to get some breakfast off the elves, then he could think straight. Padfoot yawned & stood up.

"Oh sweet Merlin!"

Padfoot stared...right into his own younger human eyes.

"Wow!" The younger Sirius put aside a bucket of apples. "You look just like Padfoot." The unicorns milled about, shoving both boy & dog over. Apples first. Everything else later. Sirius grumbled about sexist creatures as he stood up. Padfoot flipped over onto his back with a yelp as one particularly large stallion bowled him right over in his haste to get the apples. He got up on his paws. "Easy there, pooch. These unicorns think of nothing but food. They don't like me to much, 'cause I'm a guy I guess. Detentions are never easy."

Padfoot rolled his eyes, remembering. He had helped James set up a prank for 'Snivelus' only to have Filch end up being the victim. More importantly, Mrs. Norris, who got caught in a jinx that hoisted her up to the ceiling leaving her trapped. Sirius somehow got the full blame while James managed to not get caught by noticing Remus on his way to the hospital wing. James went with their werewolf, leaving poor Sirius to take the full heat. Detention was feeding & turning out the unicorns to roam the grounds the next morning. While the Hogwarts unicorns were trained & as a rule had to take orders from anyone of Hogwarts, it was still no easy feat for a male human.

The hand of his young self brought Padfoot back to reality. "I can't believe how much like Padfoot you look," Sirius went on talking. "You're a bit thin but I'll take care of you. Maybe you can be trained to join us on Full Moon nights. Tonight by the way." Padfoot gulped. Tonight? Oh to run with the pack again! "Wait a minute," Sirius was suddenly a lot closer to Padfoot then the black dog realised. "What's this? Hey, that's our tattoo." Sirius suddenly pulled out his wand & aimed for the dog's head. "Who sent you?" Padfoot sat on his tail looking innocent. Wow, did he ever look scary when he was mad. He had never really noticed before. "I'm warning you!" Sirius shook his wand. "That is our tattoo," He pulled up his left sleeve. "M.W.P.P.! We ALL have it. How come you do?"

Padfoot's eyes shot into his hairline. He had forgotten about that. The Marauder's brotherhood tattoo showed up even on their animal versions, simply because they performed tattoo magic on each other's forms to make it show through the fur. Moony had to be drugged to sleep for that one. It was probably the most dangerous ridiculous thing they had done since none knew just how long a fully transformed werewolf on Full Moon would stay under. Remus wasn't pleased either when he found out the next day. (No they didn't ask, knowing his answer would be a definite _'Non (No)!'_) Padfoot sighed & hung his head, thinking hard.

"Fine," Sirius raised his wand. "Reverso!"

Shit! Or as Remus would say, _Merde!_

Sirius—both of them—stared at each other. "Um..." The older one began.

The younger one looked over this haggard man in prison robes. Azkaban? But no one ever escapes from Azka—how the hell is he managing Padfoot?

"This is not what it looks like," the older Sirius tried again.

The younger one held up his wand. "Who are you?"

The older Sirius checked on the stallion that had run him down & then looked back at his 17 year old self. "You...don't recognise me?"

"No."

"Good," Sirius nodded. "Otherwise you would have gone mad."

"Oh I'm quite pissed off, thank you very much," The teenager huffed.

"Yeah, ok. Not that kind of mad but anyway."

The teenager watched as the prisoner bowed his head, rubbing his temples. "Now I know why you know what's going on in the future."

"No I don't," the young Sirius shook his head. "I in fact—"

"Suck at Divinations," the older Sirius finished. "I know. Believe me, I know."

"Who are you?" the young Sirius demanded again. "How can you be Padfoot? Where'd you get our tattoo?"

"Ok, we need to talk," the old Sirius pulled out his necklace. "See this?"

The teenager shrugged. "An hourglass. So?"

The pair looked long & hard at each other. In a rare moment, the younger one kept silent. He could see that the prisoner was thinking long & hard. He kept his wand trained on him, not trusting the man for a second. Who was he? More importantly, what? A Death Eater no doubt. He had heard about the followers of the rising Dark Lord. Was this man one of them?

"I'm you."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm from around fifteen years in the future," the older Sirius went on. "I got blamed for fifteen murders—Ha! Oddly enough—in one day that I didn't even do & was chucked into Azkaban for it. When I broke out twelve years later, my original mission was to go for the real killer but then I stumbled upon this. It's a Time-Turner. I'm going to fix everything so that only one dies."

"Moony & I read about Time-Turners once when sneaking about the library in London."

"Restricted Section of Hogwarts actually."

The younger Sirius still looked sceptical. He thought hard. "We should go to my boat. It's charmed to fly you know. We could have a personal conversation where no one could find us."

"Motorbike actually. It's in France at the moment. At the Lupin Manor."

Sirius the younger clasped his hands in front of him, pale grey sparks shooting out of his wand. The older Sirius didn't move or make a sound. If his younger self took him out, all was lost. How to gain his own trust? "This could be Polyjuice Potion." The younger one suddenly said.

"Can't affect our Animagus forms though," the older one put in. "Whoever uses Polyjuice potion for me can look as me only in human form. Never Padfoot."

The younger Sirius pulled in a gasp. He was trembling now. He couldn't believe it. "Who did you say you were?" He asked in a low dangerous voice.

"I'm you, about fifteen years from now."

"No..." The younger Sirius murmured, turning his face away for a moment. "You can't..." He stood silent for long time. Both did. After several minutes, the teenager looked back. He wiped tears from his eyes. "I...Azka...not I! I'm not like my fami—how can I end up there?"

"Like I said, it was a set up."

"No," the young Sirius dropped his wand & stumbled backwards. "No no no! Not me! Merlin no!" He covered his face in both hands & doubled over sobbing. "Oh Gods no! Not me! Twelve years?"

"Alright wait! Stop it!" The older Sirius rushed at his young self & grabbed hold of his shoulders. "Look at me!" He shook the boy.

"I can't! I can't!" the teenager sobbed. "I can't face something like that! I can't! Not twelve years! I'm innocent? Merlin how can this be?"

"That's why I'm here. The Time-Turner," The older Sirius said.

"Who dies? Who killed them? WHO?" the teenager threw off his old self & screamed at him. "Tell me who did this!"

"James. Lily. Several random muggles. Peter."

"THE WHOLE FUCKING PACK?!" the teenager crashed to his knees sobbing. "Moony? Oh please not Moony to?"

"Moony survives to hate me for the next twelve years."

"HATE…me? Not my werewolf! He can't hate anything."

"He was one of the group who put me away—"

"NO!"

"Then for the next twelve years, he hated me."

"You're lying! He's MY werewolf! Mine! Moony could NEVER hate me!"

"He thought I killed his pack, what do you expect?"

"Not Moony! NEVER!"

"When I escaped & went after the real killer, Moony came after me," the older Sirius hung on to his young self once more. He had no idea how to soothe himself. If the teenager cried any harder he could attract unwanted attention. You must never be seen. Damn it! "He will try to kill me."

"I can't believe it. I can't! I WON'T!"

"LISTEN TO ME!" the older Sirius shook the boy so hard he nearly cracked his own neck. "Remus was acting under the false story everyone fell for. It isn't his fault. For Merlin's sake, he lost his entire pack in a day! Cut him some slack!"

The younger Sirius stepped back against the wall, putting both arms up in front of his face in a block. "You're asking me to believe the impossible!" He slid down the wall until he was sitting in a pile of hay & shoved his hands through his hair. His body shook with a fresh wave of sobs. "Not Moony. Not dear sweet Moony!"

When the sobs subsided a little, the older Sirius said, "He's going to be ok. They all are. That's why I'm here. It'll be fine."

The younger Sirius put his head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. He suddenly looked straight into his older eyes. How haunted he looked. This can not be! "You said that only one will die instead of fifteen. Dear Merlin! I can not believe I would come back fifteen years to kill a werewolf I've given my life to protecting!"

"I'm not here for Moony."

"Then who?" the younger one shot to his feet.

"I'm here for the traitor."

"Who is that?" the teenager grabbed the collar on the prisoner & yanked him forward. "You tell me right now or I swear to Merlin I'll kill you now. I won't let anything happen to any of my pack-mates."

"You'll regret saying that one," The older Sirius grabbed the young hand & shoved it away. "For the traitor is none other than Peter Wormtail Pettigrew."


	4. Chapter 4

**(4) Blood's Pain**

Sirius stormed into the common room, slamming the Portrait so hard behind him that the Fat Lady fell out. Remus, James & Peter looked up in shock from their Marauder's Map they had spread before them. Sirius glared into the eyes of each of them in turn, starting with Peter, then James, then Remus. He stalked over. Remus jumped to his feet & barely had a chance to gather his wits before Sirius rammed into him & held on so tight that his ribs nearly cracked. Sirius cried into his shoulder.

Not knowing what else to do, Remus swayed gently back & forth, trying to hush his pack-mate while James & Peter exchanged looks. "Padfoot what's wrong?" Remus finally asked.

Sirius went to his knees before Remus & looked up into his eyes. "Promise me one thing?"

"Sirius."

"Don't hate me. Don't you EVER hate me! Ok? Promise me that!"

"Why would I hate you?" Remus laughed softly, putting a hand on Sirius's head.

James hacked & said under breath. "If you two only knew how gay you both look."

Remus glared, his eyes flickering from brown to gleaming gold "I could never hate you Padfoot. Prongs however, will die horribly tonight for that comment."

Sirius shot to his feet. "Don't say that. NEVER say that again! You hear me werewolf?"

"Werew...ok I'm not talking to you right now," Remus huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't ever say James will die again. Understand?"

Remus put his hands up in defeat. "Gees Padfoot! It was only a joke."

Sirius gritted his teeth. "I'm not joking!" At that, he turned for the stairs, pausing to cast a long hard look of utter contempt towards Peter. Then he stomped up stairs & slammed the door.

Remus scoffed in disbelief. "Touché man! Touché."

"I know we usually call you this, but now I'm going to say that Sirius has gone bloody mental," James glanced up the stairs a moment.

"I wonder what I did?" Peter put in. "Did you see the glares he gave me? On the way in & then before he stomped up there?"

"Never mind that, Wormtail," Remus waved it away with one hand. "Prongs is right. Padfoot's gone mental. Right before a Full Moon to. I hope he calms down or else I honestly think he shouldn't join us tonight." He glanced up the stairs & suddenly, he hissed like a cougar.

"_Ah! Non, non (No, no)!"_ Peter put a hand on the were-pup's head, petting back some hair. "No hissing. Bad werewolf manners." Remus turned a golden gaze on him but Peter held up a piece of chocolate to appease—distract?—the Alpha. Remus pouted & butted his head into Peter's chest, sucking up. "Shame on you!" Peter stuffed the chocolate into the pup's mouth, ignoring the grumble. He looked at James who was shaking his head. "What? Alpha or not, he's got it bad for chocolate."

James nodded, snickering. "I know something that will cheer Padfoot up," He suddenly grinned, standing up. He went upstairs & entered the dormitory. "Oh Paddy-kins? Where are you?" He went in further, looking around.

Sirius's bed curtains were drawn closed. James went up to the right hand side. He heard sniffling. "Um, Padfoot?" After a long moment, James gave up & pulled back the curtain. Sirius was lying with his face buried in his arm. His whole body was heaving with sobs. James sat down & put a hand onto his friend's hip. Sirius recoiled with a yell. He had fallen so far down into depression that he didn't even notice James had come in.

Startled, Sirius glanced around. James held up his hand. Sirius sighed, heaving a breath as he tried to stop crying. He pressed both hands to his eyes & rubbed them. "Sorry. Prongs. I...I didn't hear you."

"What the devil is wrong with you?"

Sirius whispered, "Everything."

James waited for an explanation. When none came, he prompted. "Well, do tell?"

"I can't," Sirius shook his head. "Silent Oath."

"You made an oath with someone?" James stared, horrified. "Padfoot what did you get into?"

Sirius shook his head. He suddenly looked straight at James. "Prongs."

"Yes?"

"I will never betray you. Ok?"

James nodded. "Ok." He sighed heavily. "Ok. Look I don't know what's wrong, but I know the perfect remedy. Let's all head for the Shrieking Shack early today. We can beat up Snivelus." Sirius merely half-smiled & looked away. James went cold. Something had to be wrong if Sirius didn't even care about picking on Severus Snape. "Um...Padfoot? Didn't you hear? Snivelus is overdue for his daily dose of Marauders' humour." Sirius only sighed. "Padfoot you're scaring me!"

"_Je suis désolé (I'm sorry),"_ Sirius shrugged.

"You're the only one of us who learned French completely," James snickered. "The rest of us can barely string two words together. Are you sure you don't have a thing for our sweet little Moon Dog? You DO know I'm trying to find a nice bitch to breed him to. I want some puppies."

"Hmm, I know one French word you know," Sirius glared. _"Tais-toi (Shut up)!"_

"Yeah well," James held up his hands. "I rest my case. Now, shall we go put Snivelus in his place or what?"

Sirius sighed again before standing up. "Little? Prongs, last time I checked, that thing is huge! Moony's bigger than Padfoot now on Full Moon nights even though Remus is still the short-arse."

James smiled slyly. "To what thing are you referring to? Exactly?" He dropped one eyelid.

Sirius cross-rolled his eyes shut. "I hate you."

"Good," James grabbed his friend's hand & hauled him along. "Let's go."

"Didn't you stop harassing that boy for Lily's sake? You two are dating now right?"

"Lily's gone to Hogsmeade, for the day," James explained. "But I saw Snivelus return quite recently. You're upset. Desperate times. Desperate measures. I'll just blame it on you."

"_Merci (Thank you)!"_ Sirius groaned sarcastically as he found himself in front of Remus & Peter. James explained the situation, ignoring Remus's eye roll, before leading the way.

The four of them soon found themselves on the wide stairs leading down onto the grounds from the large doors that opened into the Entrance Hall. James, Peter & Sirius soon spotted Severus heading for the Quidditch Pitch & hurried after. Remus tried to follow but tripped down the stairs.

"You ok?" Peter came back to help him up.

"_Oui. Merci, Wormtail (Yes. Thanks, Wormtail),"_ Remus gasped breathlessly, brushing himself off as dignified as he could. The pair hurried forward as Sirius & James suddenly levitated Severus up in the air. Dangling upside-down, James jerked his wand back & forth, shaking the Slytherin boy in the air. Remus sighed, saying to Peter, "I'm only allowing this for Padfoot's sake. He's really out of sorts. But I'll find a way to distract them in a moment." He put his hands into his pockets, then checked around. "Merlin's sake! I lost my wand."

"Probably when you tripped," Peter said. Careful not to give his Alpha orders without having chocolate handy, he asked, "Do you want to stay here, Moony? I can go grab it." Remus nodded as Peter turned & ran back. Remus watched James & Sirius taunt Severus some more.

Wand in mouth, Padfoot raised his head as he heard someone come running back. "Oy you mangy dog! That's Moony's!" Peter pulled out his wand. He barely had time to wonder why the dog looked familiar when the beast disappeared through the garden.

The last time Peter pulled out his wand against him, Padfoot had spent twelve years in Azkaban for it. Not thinking straight, Padfoot bolted through the rose bushes & down the hill towards the lake. Peter charged after.

Padfoot ended up by the lake. Quicker than a rabbit he transformed, shook Remus's wand in one fluid motion to form a blade & turned sharply. Peter's eyes went wide. He sunk down, sliding off the blade. Sirius pulled it up & out, then put a foot on Peter's chest to push him back. The haunted look of Azkaban swept over his eyes. "That was for James & Lily!" Peter rolled back into the water, his head going under. After a short struggle, he lay still.

Next moment, the elder Sirius, the four Marauders & Lily on her way back from Hogsmeade with her friends, all went to their knees, screaming while holding their heads. It was all the older Sirius could do to transform & hobble away, crying. He was going to die. The migraine was searing. Blinding. He dimly heard others screaming but wasn't sure who. Or cared. Padfoot just wanted to crawl into a hole & die.

Severus Snape went crashing to the ground. He slowly picked himself up & glanced around. Sirius & James were lying on the ground, backs arched as they grabbed their heads. Looking over at Remus, he could see the fangs were gritted so hard that they nearly cracked. Remus was crying out in pain as he pressed his fingers on either side next to his temples.

But it was her screams that affected him. Only hers. Severus grabbed the golden mane of a white unicorn browsing under the beech tree nearby & jumped onto its back. Ignoring the angry snort, he kicked its sides as it tried to buck. He kicked harder. Hogwarts unicorns were trained & had to listen despite their sexism. After another angry snort, the horse huffed & moved into an easy gallop. Severus used fistfuls of mane on either side to tug the horse left a bit & rode to the end of the road leading back to Hogsmeade. He jumped off as the beast raced by & landed beside her. "Merlin's sake! What's wrong with her?" Severus put one hand on Lily's face as he asked her girlfriends.

"I don't know!" Alice sobbed. "She just dropped to the ground screaming."

"Lily? LILY!" Severus grabbed one of her hands. He knelt down beside her & leaned in to her ear. "Legilimens." Pain. Like never before. Hit his mind like a dagger. Severus grunted but didn't close the link.

/Lean on me./

/SEVERUS! MERLIN PLEASE KILL ME!/

/Lean on me. Our minds are one. Let me bare the pain./

/Please please let me die!/

/I'll take care of you./

/...Seve...Severus.../

The link snapped. Severus sat back, head thrown back towards the sky as he let out a scream. Then he lay over on his side, passed out.

Alice put a hand to Snape's throat, feeling a faint breath. "We need to get them into the hospital wing. NOW!"

With a groan, Padfoot half-opened his eyes. He was alive? Not possible. He sighed long & slow. Yes he was still alive. He slowly lifted his head & glanced around, sniffing. It was dark now & the moon was up. The moon! Padfoot shot to his paws, only to keel over. He shifted to Sirius & stumbled forward like a drunkard. He put a hand out to stop himself crashing headlong into a sapling. What happened? Sirius looked around. He was down under one flank of the castle where the lake actually ran underneath a bit. The lake. Peter! Sirius looked at the shore but it was clear.

Peter was dead! Finally. After all the pain he caused, Sirius felt a weak relief, steadying himself against the sapling. His head still pounded a bit but it was subsiding. Sirius leaned his back against the sapling & stared up at the castle. He would be free now. It was time to write down what had happened that Halloween in 1981, then find James & give him both letters.

Letters which had a charmed seal on them, allowing no one but the receiver to open them.

First things first. Sirius shifted to Padfoot & stumbled towards the Whomping Willow. He had to. He missed the pack so much. He would merely observe from the sidelines. As he neared the tree, Padfoot found his footing & was able to walk a straight line. He ran forward, pouncing on the knot, then slipped inside.

Padfoot slowed down when he came to the other end. He listened for the barking of the two dogs, the clicking of hooves but all he could hear was snarling & whining. Padfoot poked his head out to find Moony...& only Moony. Merlin's sake where was the rest of the pack? Should he? Moony put his snout down & tore off a strip of flesh from his paw. Padfoot didn't need any more encouragement. He jumped out & whined. Moony glanced up, frozen in position. Padfoot trotted forward, wagging his tail.

Moony bared his fangs, growling. Padfoot promptly dropped to his stomach, hoping his Alpha would be pleased. Moony came over, snarling, sniffing. The dog looked like Padfoot. Smelled like him. But something was off. Moony grabbed the dog by the nape & tossed it over, then begin sniffing the underside. Definitely Padfoot. But how? More to the point, if the Grim dog did manage to get here, where was the Stag? The Rat? Oh well. Moony barked & sat down.

Padfoot jumped up & headed for the door. Barking excitedly, he nosed up the latch, then grabbed the bolt with his teeth & pulled. Moony came up beside him, licking Padfoot's snout in an attempt to help. Padfoot laid down on his forelegs & grabbed the bottom bolt to pull it out as well. He was taking Moony out. Both dogs were so excited that they jostled each other out the door & nearly got stuck in between. The moment they figured out how to get through, the pair shot forward & disappeared into the Dark Forest.

Padfoot couldn't believe it. Twelve years alone. He never thought he would get the chance to run with Moony again. They chased two terrified unicorns, dispersed an angry group of Centaurs having a meeting & badgered a lone vampire so much that it took off for the far edge of the Forest. Padfoot then turned on Moony & the pair chased each other in a circle, nipping each other's tails. They soon came upon an open field bare of grass but flooded in moonlight. Padfoot lay down, barking at Moony to join him. The two of them were soon fast asleep until the sunlight drifted in, touching Moony's fur.

Reversing the curse.

Padfoot leaped aside as Moony howled & contorted under the sunray's touch. The canine sounds gradually changed to the screams of a young man. Remus lay gasping & naked on the barren rock field. Padfoot bit his lip. He hadn't thought about this. He guiltily stepped forward & licked Remus's face.

Remus snickered. "Padfoot..." He gasped weakly. _"Si jamais ... jamais quelque chose peut étre fait pour la douleur (If ever...ever something can be done for the pain)..."_ Padfoot merely licked his face again. There was nothing more he could do. Usually, he would transform & offer his cloak to Remus until they got back. All he had to offer now was the cloak of Azkaban. Remus didn't know. Only his younger self & soon enough, James. He had to keep the timeline as pure as possible. Remus sighed, closing his eyes. _"Hmm que le soleil se sent bien (Hmm that sun feels good)."_

Padfoot sat on his tail, thinking hard. Usually Remus would doze for at least half an hour, right after transformation. He looked back over his shoulder into the Dark Forest. Should he make a mad dash to the Shrieking Shack & grab Remus's clothes? They had come so far in. He looked back at the werewolf lying on the ground, eyes closed, dressed in nothing but the sun. Padfoot turned away.

"Padfoot?"

Damn it. He turned back. Go to sleep. Just go to sleep!

_"Eh bien venez ici, vous chien fou (Well come here, you crazy dog)," _Remus patted the ground beside him. _"__Où est Prongs & Wormtail_ (_Where's Prongs & Wormtail)?"_

Wormtail? Sweet Merlin! He didn't know yet? Padfoot did the best shrug he could do in this form.

"_Sirius, vous pouvez revenir vous le savez (Sirius you can change back you know),"_ Remus laughed at him. Padfoot shook his head. _"Wow, Prongs est juste pour vous n'est-ce pas (Wow, Prongs is right about you isn't he)?" _Padfoot twisted his head upside-down almost like an owl, blinking. Remus sighed, switching to English. "It's ok. You don't want to change back right now 'cause you're going through a phase."

Padfoot blinked. What phase? Did Remus know about the timeline or not?

Remus yawned. "Wouldn't be the first time I see you blush. You're always trailing some girl. Plus," he added, a little crossly, "I've walked in on your mating habits more times than I care to count." Remus then scoffed. Padfoot raised one brow, suddenly understanding where this one-sided conversation was going. He did the best facepalm he could do with one paw. Here Remus was accusing him of some random crush—on Remus no doubt—yet he couldn't change to defend himself. If Remus saw the prison robes...no no, Sirius could not stand that hate. "James has been hinting about it. Been hinting about getting some pups to. Oh that man!" Remus lay his head back to glare up at the sky. "That said, you & I do need to have a talk about this sooner or la—mmf!" Padfoot had just put a paw on his mouth. Shut! Up! He moved to the edge of the trees & barked. Remus half sat up. "What are you doing?" Padfoot barked again. Remus rolled his eyes. "Wow! We really need to have a talk about this then. You're not seriously thinking of making me run naked all through the forest just to satisfy your curiosity?" Padfoot blinked. Remus blinked. "SIRIUS!"

Padfoot barked & dashed into the trees.

"_Tu es mort! JE VAIS VOUR TUER! Revenez ici! (YOU ARE DEAD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! GET BACK HERE!)"_

Padfoot skidded so hard to stop himself, that he flipped over backwards. He hung his head. Remus was merely joking this time, but it brought back a bad memory. Padfoot stood up & slowly walked away.

"SIRIUS PADFOOT ORION BLACK!" Remus came trotting up beside him. _"Vous changez de retour cet instant. Cet instant, vous m'entrendez? Je suis votre Alpha. Aïe! Mmm merde! __(__You change back this instant. This instant, you hear me? I am your Alpha. OUCH! Mmm shit!)" _Remus had stepped on a stone. _"Chien stupide (Stupid mutt)!" _As he stood against a tree rubbing his foot, Padfoot checked ahead, then looked back at Remus inspecting his foot. Padfoot hated it. Hated it so much but he had to. He suddenly fled the scene, heading for the Shrieking Shack. Remus calling out his name went echoing into the distance. Padfoot pounded hard towards the Shack. He would grab the clothes & come right back, meeting Remus along the way.

Padfoot burst into the Shack & dashed upstairs. Finding the robes, he sunk his fangs into them & hurried back as fast as possible. Leaving Remus in human form all alone in that Forest was the worst thing Padfoot had ever done. He stopped in front of the werewolf & dropped the clothes.

Remus glared, then snarled, baring his fangs, the only things that stayed the same human or wolf. Then he smacked Padfoot over the head._ "Quel est le probléme avec vous? Attendez, Padfoot? Étes-vous nu? (What is wrong with you? Wait, Padfoot? Are you naked?)"_

Padfoot hung his head. If only he was. Unfortunately, Remus took it the wrong way.

"_Tu es un idiot (You're an idiot)!"_ Remus hissed, fangs gritted. _"Je suis un loup. Je s'accouplent pour le vie. Vous ne gaites pas! (I'm a Wolf. I mate for life. You don't!)" _At that, he got dressed as fast as possible & stomped away. _"Attendez jusqu'à que nous arrivons a l'infirmerie, Black. Vous et moi nous allons avoir une conversation sérieuse! (Just wait until we get to the hospital wing, Black. You & I are going to have a serious talk!)"_ He continued forward without a backwards glance.

Padfoot half-smiled sadly, then turned & promptly disappeared into the forest. His younger self will just have to take the heat for this one.


	5. Chapter 5

**(5) Death's Sting**

Remus pushed open the doors to the Entrance Hall & headed for the hospital wing. He was tired & out of sorts & still sore from his transformation. He had a large cut on one hand. He let the mighty door slam behind him. Remus had noticed a long time ago that Padfoot wasn't following him but after several minutes of calling for the damn Grim without any response, he had given up & headed for the hospital wing to wait for Sirius there. He was going to talk that man's ear off, one for letting his silly little crush go to far & two for disobeying his Alpha. Remus wondered if he shouldn't swap ranks around between Sirius, a Delta & James, the Omega. Yeah. Omega. Perfect place for Sirius until he learned his lesson. Remus huffed & barged into the hospital wing. He stopped short.

There stood Sirius, staring out the window. Not caring to understand how Sirius managed to get here first, Remus was about to launch into a lecture, but James stepped into his line of sight. James...had been crying. Sirius came to stand behind him.

"What's going on?" Remus asked. "Where were you Prongs, last night? Where's Wormtail?"

At that, Sirius buried his face in both hands while James threw himself onto Remus & burst into a fresh wave of tears. "W-Wormtail's dead!"

Remus locked eyes with Sirius who turned away, shaking. "What?"

"He was stabbed & left in the lake," James went on. "Oh Merlin! He was still alive. Peter drowned."

"WHAT?" Remus pushed James away. "Where is he?"

"Remus!"

_"Non (No)!"_ Remus glared through the glasses. "I want to see him. Where is he?"

"Over here," Sirius led the way. He pulled back a curtain going around one bed. Someone was lying on it, fully covered with a sheet. Bloodstains oozed out from a long gash in the stomach to the chest.

With shaking hands, Remus pulled down the cover, revealing Peter's face. "Peter? Peter!" Remus stared in silence, then he let Moony take over & howled. Long. Mournful. Remus put his head down. With his good hand, he petted back a bit of Peter's brown bangs. He recoiled at the touch. Peter was cold. Just so, so cold! "...Wormtail..." Remus turned away as James re-covered their fallen pack-mate. "I'm tired," Remus whispered. "So very tired." Fists clenched at either side, he stumbled backwards to an empty bed & lay down. James got into bed with Remus, taking up the left side. Sirius shoved the pair over a bit & slipped into the right side. After several moments of lying silent in the one bed, Remus asked. "Who?"

Sirius & James exchanged looks. Sirius shoved his bangs out of his face. "By your wand...Remus."

"What do you mean?"

"Your wand was found next to his body, a knife blade spell on it," James explained. "The blade was still there, stained with his blood."

"We don't think you did it," Sirius put in hastily. "No one does. You were with James, me & Snivelus when it happened."

"_Non non non (No no no)!" _Remus covered his face with both hands. Who the hell would try to frame him for this? Someone else in the school besides the Professors & Marauders, Lily & unfortunately Snape, must know what he was & was trying to get rid of him. "Hang on, that was yesterday. I dimly remember Snape, but my head nearly exploded with a migraine then."

"I was sent to my knees with that pain," James said.

"I felt it to," Sirius put in. "So did Lily."

"Lily?" Remus echoed.

"Snivelus felt it to, for some reason," Sirius went on. "He's still passed out. Something about trying a telepathic spell on Lily to lift her pain. It nearly killed him."

"If only it did," James muttered.

"It made us all pass out," Sirius went on. "We just started to come to now in the past hour but Snivelus is still out. Lily's just sleeping now. Over there." He pointed.

Remus checked on the redhead before asking, "I dimly remember that. The next thing I know, Moony has the dominance & I'm in the Shrieking Shack. Then only you showed up, Padfoot."

"No I didn't."

"Right ok, Sirius? I'm not going to argue with you," Remus retorted. "You're in enough trouble as it is so don't blow any smoke up my arse right now."

"Moony," James began. "Sirius was hit hard with that migraine thing. He was here all night. Madam Pomfrey can vouch for him."

"Uh Prongs?" Remus hissed softly. "Padfoot was with me. The WHOLE night! Okay? I remember what happened last night & I only remember full moons when at least one of the pack is with me. You weren't there. Neither was Wormtail. Now I know why, but Padfoot was."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Sirius suddenly agreed. "I was there for a bit. I ignored the headache to be with you."

_"Merci (Thank you)," _Remus replied flatly. Sirius swallowed, having a feeling he was going to regret covering for his older self running about.

"How in the name of Dracula did you manage that?" James asked incredulously, lying his glasses on the stand by the bed. "That migraine nearly killed us all. Padfoot, you should have rested."

"Well that's what I'm doing now," Sirius burrowed down under the blankets & closed his eyes. James shook his head as he did the same. They both put their heads onto Remus's chest.

James cleared his throat two or three times. He suddenly sat up, swung his legs over. Face in hands, his whole body began shaking. Remus sat up & slid his arms around James's waist from behind. "He was lying there," James sobbed. "When we were coming out of our comas. We saw a bed blocked off by curtains &...& then..." He cleared his throat again. If only he could stop crying.

Sirius lay back, staring at the ceiling, listening to the pair cuddled together, sharing tears. "Madam Pomfrey came to each of us & told us that they had found Wormtail half in the lake. Dead. Stabbed & drowned." Sirius continued to stare at the ceiling. He knew Peter would die & he knew why. Try as he might, he could not rid himself of the horrible shadow of his future self. Azkaban? All because of Peter? It just didn't feel right. "Then Dumbledore said that your wand was found. James insisted you were with him, picking on Snivelus. Dumbledore then went to Snivelus & did some sort of spell on him, then walked away. Dumbledore said that he confirms what James & I said."

James heaved a sigh. "It must have been that telepathic spell he tried on MY girlfriend." He put his hands down over Remus's hands, holding on to the embrace. He could feel the back of his neck getting soaked & heard the faint canine-like whimpers in his ears. Moony was as devastated as his human host & the rest of the surviving pack.

Sirius sat up & scooted forward. He snuggled up to Remus's back. "Hey...Come here. It'll be ok." Remus sunk back into his arms & allowed Sirius to lie him back down. Sirius lay over him & rolled off onto the other side. He swung his legs high over the head of James & sat up beside him. He got off the bed & turned around. Not knowing what went on last night, he bent down & kissed Remus on the cheek then moved over & grabbed James by the shoulders, missing the odd look from the werewolf. He pushed James down, kissed his cheek as well & stood up. "I've got to finish something. You two rest. I'll be back later."

"Where are you going?" James asked. "Sirius? Wait!" Sirius didn't answer, only ran for the door & left. James sighed & curled up over Remus, putting one arm protectively around the Wolf pup. The two of them cried themselves to sleep.

Sirius held his wand in one hand & ran into the barns. Not seeing the old Padfoot curled up anywhere; Sirius plopped down into a pile of hay & took out the Map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" The Map came alive at his command. Sirius spread it out. "Alright, where are you?" He saw his name in the barns & then began branching outwards. Another Sirius Black showed up under the long bridge. The dot wasn't moving. Turning it off, Sirius folded up the Map. He tucked it away under his robes & transformed.

The old Padfoot was curled up under the bridge. He raised his head. He scratched at the ground with one paw, whining softly. After that last migraine hit, he had felt weaker than ever. Running with Moony all night only worked by the adrenaline rush. Now with the high over, he felt almost dead. He put his head down & tried to sleep. Padfoot woke up slowly as something poked him. Opening his eyes, he noticed his vision was blurry but he could make out his younger self, standing in front of him, prodding him with his own wand. That wand! It had been taken away from him before the doors of Azkaban closed once & for all. He wondered what had ever happened to it. Did the Ministry break it? Or put it on a dusty shelf with a label 'Murderer' on it? Or throw it away?

Sirius stepped back from the old Padfoot a bit. Something was wrong. "Hey, come on. Wake up."

Strength gone, it was all he could do to lift his head. He transformed & sat curled up between two boulders under the supports. They were down in the gorge where no one could see them without the Map. "What?" He looked his younger—youthful—self over.

"You look really tired."

The old one shook his head a little. "I haven't felt well since that migraine."

"We all felt it," the boy said. "So did Lily. Snivelus performed some telepathic spell on her & got hit hard as well."

The old one closed his eyes & grunted. "At least he got hurt."

The boy laughed. "Hey what's wrong with you? I don't plan on dying in my late twenties or so."

"I'm 33."

"I look much older," the boy stared at his old self. Only 33? Peter had to die. He had to! "Why'd you do it man?"

"Do what?"

"Kill Peter?"

"YOU KNOW WHY!"

"Surely there was another way?"

"None!"

"Moony & Prongs are heartbroken."

The old one stood up. "Boy you don't know what you're saying."

"No you're the one who doesn't know!" Sirius shot back. "They haven't stopped crying since they knew about Peter."

The old Sirius buried his face in one hand. "You don't understand."

"MAKE ME!" Sirius screamed at him. When no answer came, he pushed on. "Why couldn't you just direct Peter to the truth? The whole point is to save James, Lily & a bunch of muggles. Why not save Peter to?"

"Peter is a Dea—"

"MOONY & PRONGS ARE IN SO MUCH PAIN RIGHT NOW!" The boy screamed back. "But you know the worst of it? I should be crying with them but I can't share their pain. I know the truth & I just can't feel the way they do. I hate this! I hate it so much! Peter was nothing but good to us."

Feeling another adrenaline rush, the old one used a burst of new energy to grab the boy. He threw him down between the boulders. He snatched the wand & held it in his younger face. "Now you listen to me. Peter is—was—a Death Eater. He would have turned on us all. Right now, Moony & Prongs still have the rest of the pack. Each other. You. They'll heal. The path my life took, they could not heal. Prongs & Lily were murdered. I got thrown into Azkaban for nothing & Moony? That poor werewolf, used to a pack, had to spend the next twelve years alone. ALONE! It destroyed him. He was more wild then ever when I met him right here at Hogwarts. Filled with hate. For me! He tried to kill me so many times."

"I know that," the boy cried. "But Merlin! There had to be another way! Send Peter away. Erase his memories! Anything!"

"Oh you don't understand!" The old one stood up & turned away.

"Yes I do."

"No!"

"I do so!" the boy huffed, standing up. "I get you're trying to save other lives. I get you're trying to reform the pack & keep Moony safe."

"But what you don't get is what awaits you after those twelve years in Azkaban!" The old Sirius whirled around on the boy & shoved him to the ground once more.

"What then? DAMN YOU! What?"

The old Sirius dragged the boy out a bit, keeping their own wand on him. "Look. LOOK! Tell me what you see?"

"The edges of the gorge," the boy muttered sarcastically.

"Merlin I was such a smart-arse back then," The old one complained. "Hogwarts. Hogsmeade. The grounds & Quidditch Pitch nearby. Understand?"

"Yeah, ok."

"Now imagine them with Dementors swarming about."

"Dementors?"

"Boy this is near the end of 7th Year," the old one was annoyed. "We confronted one Dementor at Defence Against The Dark Arts before Christmas remember?"

"Oh yeah, learning our Patronus," the boy said. "They kept one in a crate at the boat house since Dumbledore doesn't like having them around. I know all about them."

The old Sirius burst out laughing. "Merlin how stupid I was back then!" He laughed harder. Suddenly he went deathly silent. Teeth gritted so hard, they nearly cracked, he hissed, "Boy you don't know SHIT! About them. Understand? You haven't spent twelve years with those beasts. You don't know ANYTHING!" He grabbed the boy by the collar. "That was just one Dementor in class. Imagine the ENTIRE horde here. Looking for your sorry INNOCENT arse!"

"Well that's to be expected," the boy shrugged. "I escaped. It's natural they'd want to look for me to bring me back."

The old one laughed, if possible, harder than before. When he finally got control of himself he said, "That's what I thought. Until I heard Moony recommending the Minister of that time that my sentence should be upgraded from life in Azkaban, to the Dementor's Kiss right there on these grounds! The Ministry Of Magic agreed." He let the boy go & watched the reaction.

"The Kiss?" Sirius pressed both hands to his abdomen. "But that—that—that…the KISS?"

"Ah yes you would know all about that, now wouldn't you Sirius?" the old one taunted. "I remember what I did this past Christmas. I thought I could take on that beast all by myself & went in there & released it. I was nearly destroyed."

"I had to write an entire three-parchment essay on it," the boy grumbled. "Using a blood quill."

"Learned the lesson though, didn't I?" The old one snickered mirthlessly. "I never went near the monster by myself again! Ohhh if I had only known then that I would have to get used to not only that creature but also its entire family, I'd have NEVER gone down there!"

"I would have...lost my soul?" the boy gasped. "Because of Peter?"

"Yes dear sweet little Peter!"

"No," the boy fell to his knees. "Oh Merlin no."

"You did hear me mention the part that it was Moony, of all people, who helped to upgrade my sentence, right?" The boy merely shook his head in shock, so the old one continued. "Yet right now at this very moment, that precious pup thinks you've got a crush on him. Imagine that. From crush to hate!" He snapped his fingers. "Just. Like! That!"

The boy glared up at his old self. "What did you—MERLIN! Am I mated to him?"

"What? No!" The old one said. "He got confused since I didn't transform & offer my cloak. I made him walk naked all through the Dark Forest & I couldn't defend myself. I can't let him see my prison robes. Teenagers eh? Come up with the oddest explanation for the simplest of things."

"I may have had my stupid moments but no offence…Sirius…" The boy found it odd using his own name. "Time traveling to fix something is anything but simple!"

The pair stared at each other in silence. The old one sighed & sat down, handing back the familiar wand. "I'm a bit under the weather. Now with Peter out of the way, Azkaban shouldn't happen. Here," He pulled out two letters. "Give those to James. We still have to save him. He'll know what to do after reading those two. I think he's the only other one in the future who knows exactly what's going on so you can talk to him about me as of now. The Silent Oath will include him the moment he opens those letters. But none of the others. Not that I know of anyway. We must keep the timeline as pure as possible." The old Sirius then put a hand on his forehead. "Merlin what's wrong with me? I feel like I've been ripped into pieces."

The boy finally felt a bit of pity for his elder self. "You're just really tired. You should rest. By the way," He put the envelopes into his cloak, beside the Map. "I've stolen some robes off one of the Professors here. Slughorn's. They're lying in the hayloft of the third unicorn barn. Above the sleighs."

The old Sirius actually smiled a bit. _"Merci (Thank you)."_

"I figured, you can put them on & go home a free man," the boy offered. "Ditch the stripes right here. I'll burn them."

The old one shook his head. "I can't go home." He pulled out the pendant. The hourglass was broken. "It was such a small thing. Not meant for a big trip. When I tried to go home earlier today, it shattered. I'm stuck here now."

The boy stared at it. "Well, no one here has ever heard of an escaped murderer, innocent or otherwise. You can stay here. You're another Black so I can easily say you're part of the family. It would be good really. The only other Black I like is—"

"Andromeda," the old one put in. "Yeah, she's something else eh?"

The boy hesitated before adding, "You could re-live these years. Free."

"Free," The old one echoed. "Am I really free?"

"Sure," the boy nodded. "I'll call you Uncle Orion. We'll try not to use Sirius to much for you. Also, you can redo your Animagic lessons. Become another animal & join our pack. Replace the one that was lost. You know there are three kinds of Animagic right?"

"Land, water, air."

"You could take an aerial one," the boy went on. "Annoy Moony from above."

The old one laughed softly. "I just might honestly do that, you know? Sounds good." He handed over the broken Time-Turner & then a wand. The boy recognised it instantly as Peter's wand. "Here," the old one went on. "In 1994, near the end of term, you're going to have to place that on the desk by that girl."

"What girl?"

"The one I stole it from," the old one shrugged. "She's a Gryffindor. The password at that moment is Fortuna Major."

"And uh, just exactly how am I going to remember that?" the boy stared incredulously at him. "That's years from now."

"Just keep that thing around your neck at all times," the old one said. "I used his wand to put a memory charm on it. You'll know exactly when, where & what to say when the time comes. It's about the only useful thing Peter could do to redeem himself. In my eyes anyway."

"Where'd you get his wand?"

"It was floating in the water, stuck in some reeds. I've got to rest. You go see James now."


	6. Chapter 6

**(6) Silent Oath**

James put both hands on the rim of the sink & bowed his head. Heaving a sigh, he dipped his hands into the water & splashed his face for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He pulled off a towel to dab himself. Pulling it away, he saw the mirror. Sirius was standing behind him. James burst into a fresh wave of tears. Giving up, he tossed the towel aside. "Oh Merlin!" He waved both hands in front of his face, as if trying to cool himself. "Stop crying!" He turned to face Sirius.

Sirius sighed & looked towards the closed curtains around Peter's deathbed. Then his gaze wandered over Lily, Remus & Snape before coming back to James. The others were still sleeping. It was now or never. "We need to talk." Looking more crushed then Sirius had ever seen him, James merely nodded mutely. "Privately." Without another word, Sirius led the way.

They exited the Castle & crossed the grounds. Reaching the edge of the Forest, both transformed & dashed in. Sirius led him straight to the same spot Remus had transformed on that morning before transforming back. The Stag bounded across & skidded on its hooves over the flat stone. James appeared & sat cross-legged. Sirius did the same, facing him. He handed over two letters. "The Silent Oath will bind you now."

James pressed a hand to his pounding head. He noticed the envelopes were numbered 1 & 2. He ripped into the first one which was fatter then the second one.

_Dear James,_

_Well this is very odd, writing to you. The irony of ironies, we have very little time to correct a fatal mistake so I'll get straight to the point._

_In your Seventh Year, you will be dealing with more than one timeline. Our old friend Sirius Black has gone back in time from the year 1994 to save our lives from a traitor. A friend of my son's had a Time-Turner for school this year. Sirius managed to get hold of it & use it. On that one day our timelines merge & I was able to cross over & speak with him. _

_By the time you read this, if this works that is, Peter will be dead. But James? If Peter did not die. Lily & you, plus twelve muggles, would have. Worse, Peter faked his own death & sent Sirius to Azkaban for twelve years for things he didn't even do._

_You may ask how would I know this, being of a different timeline? Well as I told you, there is ONE day in 1994 where both merge. Several things helped. I being a Marauder, going around looking for anything unusual, happened to notice inconsistencies in some places, or things that appeared which didn't make sense unless being of another Timeline. Most of my information comes from 'America' & no, I'm not speaking about the country but a friend you will meet in a day or two of reading this._

_I also noticed a young Gryffindor witch, friend of my son's, messing around with time so she could get to all her classes. She thought she was alone when she used it, but I was in the bushes & as you know, we Stags can be quite stealthy._

_Yes James. I am you. Fifteen years from now. I know you're missing Peter right now, but he betrayed us all to Voldemort. He's a Death Eater. Or was._

"Sirius!" James tossed it aside. "I'm not in the mood for pranks now!"

Sirius pulled out the broken Time-Turner hanging around his neck. "It isn't. I've been working with him. Oh Prongs! He was wearing prison stripes. He's only 33 but looks ancient. Dead. The worst is, he is me! I can't let that happen."

James looked at the hourglass—half of it anyway—then at the open letter lying beside him where it had fallen. "What's this about Peter?"

Sirius took a long time in answering. "He would have killed you & Lily."

"Are you telling me, that you know who murdered him?" James felt murderous himself when he saw his friend nod.

"My future self."

"Sirius."

"He's still here," Sirius shrugged. "In one of the unicorn barns right now."

"I'll kill him!" James stood up.

Sirius grabbed James by the sleeve & yanked him back down. "You do that & it will destroy me too remember? James! Finish the letters. Peter would have killed you & Lily. I tried to come up with another way but my older self stole Remus's wand & took Peter down before I had a chance. I don't like this any more than you do, but he would have betrayed us."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT!"

"I know," Sirius said. "But James, you don't know the worst of it."

"What could possibly be worse?"

"I ended up in Azkaban for this," Sirius said. "I escaped & went to Hogwarts looking for Peter. Moony was there & apparently he requested that my sentence was upgraded from life in Azkaban to...to the...to the Dementor's Kiss & they agreed."

"Dementor's Kiss?" James stared. "I can't believe what I'm hearing!"

"Finish the letters," Sirius insisted. "Then you can meet my older self. He can't go back since that thing is broken, unless we can find him another one. James please just finish those letters."

"If what you're saying is true, then you are Peter's murderer!"

Sirius raised his hand then let it fall in a helpless gesture. "I wanted nothing more than to save him like you & Lily & every one else. Who knows, maybe I'll come up with a way someday, Time-travel back again & save him. I don't know. I'm still working this out. I don't even know what's in these two letters. Maybe our answer is there."

James glared, shook his head & began reading some more.

_You must be incredibly confused & angry at the moment. I remember sitting there with the Sirius of your time. Don't fault him. We're all in this mess together. The next letter is from the Future Sirius himself, describing exactly how you & Lily died the first time around. Below, is my plan to save us from that fate this time. Removing Peter from the picture is only a small part. If anything, it merely removed Azkaban from the main timeline. Far worse lies ahead. Follow my plan to the letter. You did. I'm here. So is Lily & Sirius. Remus is now a Professor here at Hogwarts. We're ok, so stick to the plan!_

_~~Signed: James Prongs Potter. 1994_

A second sheet of parchment fell out. James picked it up & began reading silently for several minutes, his face going whiter by the second. He laid that sheet aside, on top of the first letter. "I need no more proof. This can only be myself who wrote this letter. How else would he know our family secret? Oh this is bad. This is REALLY bad!"

"Prongs?"

James shook his head. "I can't tell you right now. In fact, you can try reading that second sheet of paper. You won't be allowed since you're not direct blood. We're only distant cousins. That page had a blood binding spell on it. Direct descent only for now."

"Ok," Sirius sighed. "Now the second one."

James gritted his teeth & then opened it. He read it through twice, closed his eyes & held it out to Sirius. The letter described his very own death & Lily's. The betrayal. Voldemort himself using the Death Curse. The exact position on the ground when James hit the floor dead before he finished his fall. Same for Lily.

"You'll have a son?" Sirius laughed softly through tears. Then his face fell. "This—THIS is how we destroy that Dark Lord?"

James looked away. "Merlin will I never stop crying today?"

Sirius moved over to sit beside James & put an arm around his shoulders. "We've known for a while that we're going into war. You & I are both Aurors in training. So was Peter. I don't know when he became a double agent or even gone Dark completely but it had to be within the next four years. We now have a way to end this war but I don't like it. Everything can go so wrong so fast. I mean, he's only a baby & no one—I repeat NO ONE—ever ever survived the Death Curse. You're not seriously thinking of using my Future Godson like that, are you?"

James looked into his friend's eyes. He laughed. "You say that only since you don't know what's on this sheet & I can't tell you. Harry will be fine. So will Lily, provided I get all the pieces. It's only me who won't be."

"What do you mean?"

"If I get all the pieces, Lily & Harry can be thrown into a dragon's den & come out smelling like a rose," James said. "It's infallible. For them. For me? I have no protection, except impeccable timing skills. I know why he described my death so. But if I'm off by a mere second, I will be dead."

"Then we don't do this."

"Voldemort kills so much," James shrugged. "I'm willing to risk it. Sirius it is my life & the lives of every Light witch & wizard on the line, including yours & Moony's. Besides, there's a chance I'll time it right."

"James. Prongs! No!"

James held up his hands. "My decision is final, assuming I get the pieces. If not, then there's nothing I can do but take my family into real hiding."

"What pieces? Let me help you!"

"Oh you will, in time," James said.

"I'm so sick of hearing about time!" Sirius complained.

"Padfoot it's ok," James said. "I don't need your help to find those pieces. I already know where two of them are. But I will need your help afterwards. It won't be for a couple years. Let's just...live...for now." He folded up all the letters & put them into his cloak. "I know what I'm doing. Don't worry. Come on. We shouldn't leave Remus alone with Peter there. As far as I'm concerned, Peter was still innocent when he died. I'll still grieve. Remus will need us. Let's go."

They transformed & walked slowly through the forest. Sirius suddenly appeared. "How many pieces are there?"

"Three," James said. "We shouldn't do this here. Someone could see us. Back there, we were deep in but now we can see the castle." Prongs reappeared & soon, a black dog walked beside him.

They walked in silence for several minutes, catching glimpses of the open grounds ahead. "Do you have any idea where the third piece is?" The Stag huffed angrily, shaking his head. "You're the Omega. You can't boss me around."

"None whatsoever!" James gritted his teeth. "Now will you please transform & stay that way? Please?"

"Well," Sirius sighed dramatically & bowed. "Since you put it oh-so-nicely." He shifted & marched past, instantly regretting it. The Stag chomped down on the tip of his tail. Padfoot yanked it away with a yip of pain. The Stag actually smirked, prancing regally past. Padfoot snarled.

They shifted back to human form upon emerging from the Forest inside a thick cluster of trees where several large boulders lay. They headed back to the hospital wing. Remus & Lily were just waking up. Sirius stood by Remus & took his injured hand into his own. He began working on redoing the bandage.

"Jim? What's wrong?" Lily asked as James sat down beside her.

"Everything."


	7. Chapter 7

**(7) Unanswered Questions**

_**3 years later**_

James couldn't tell her much that day back in the hospital wing. Peter was dead. His murderer never found. His body was sent home his mother's for burial. James, Remus & the younger Sirius & Lily attended, along with several other friends. The older Sirius had nothing to do with it. There wasn't much else he was able to tell her. Oh yeah! They were headed for war. Sirius found another family member, Uncle Orion, who mostly kept to himself but in time, he soon shed the haunted look. (Uncle Orion soon mentioned that he knew Aerial Animagic. He was a great bald Eagle, earning himself the Marauder's name 'America' much to the snickers of the entire pack. The brotherhood tattoo appeared under his right wing.) Snape unfortunately woke up almost the minute Lily had. He was fine.

In the last week, James & Sirius earned a detention that cost the Marauders their most precious possession: the Map. Filch confiscated the parchment & that was it. Remus didn't speak to either of them for the rest of the term. Try as they might, they could not get it back & it was only after several million offerings of chocolate did their werewolf forgive them. Sort of. Maybe. They never really knew. On their final day of Hogwarts, James had asked Lily to marry him. She said yes.

For everything else though, only James, Sirius & Orion knew more of the story. James knew the most of it. It nearly killed him to know what he had to do. He still didn't know how to find that third piece or how to get the second one. He knew where it was but getting it, more importantly, earning its loyalty, for that above all else would be the key to sparing Lily & his son's lives, was still a mystery to him. He kept the only one he actually owned close by at all times. In the meantime, any moment he had, he tried to practise doing things with precision. It seemed impossible. One second & he would be dead.

Soon, that was put on the back burner. Lily was pregnant! The next several months were spent baby-proofing the house & picking out names. They soon settled on Savona for a girl, Jason for a boy. James went silent, mulling that over. Harry. It was supposed to be Harry, right?

The war plunged the Wizarding World into turmoil. The Marauders saw many friends die. There was one time when Lily & James were at the Ministry Of Magic & Death Eaters suddenly attacked. One of their muggle-born friends, pushed them through a panel in the wall into the next room. As it fell shut, they heard the horrid cry 'Aveda Kedavra' & a sickening thud of body hitting floor. He was an old wizard who had often joked that he could play grandpa to the baby.

His name was Harold Dawson.

Lily & James barely made it back home with their lives & then had to apparate to the nearest hospital right away since she went into labour at that moment. When she had finally birthed a son, James had asked if they could name him Harold, after their fallen friend. Harry for short. Lily had agreed & Harry James Potter was introduced to the world at last.

James sighed, lying down next to Lily. Sirius had gone to get coffee while Remus lay Sphinx-posed in the next bed, little Harry between his hands. Remus reminded James of a lioness holding her cubs between her paws. Remus dipped his head occasionally, licking the baby, if possible, even more clean. James snickered & lay his head down on Lily's breast.

"Moony," Lily finally said. "I think he's clean now." Remus merely looked up at her with big gold eyes. Moony was actually awake. He licked his chops then returned to licking Harry to death. "Moony." Lily sighed, giving up.

Sirius handed over the coffees for James & Lily with a hot chocolate for Remus. "Well now, whenever it's bath time I guess we know who to call."

"Instinct," Remus muttered. "Inevitable." He continued licking. Suddenly he yipped like a dog in pain. Looking over, Sirius, Lily & James saw Remus lift his head, a tiny hand gripping his bangs. "Merlin's sake! GET HIM OFF!" The other three roared with laughter. Remus had no choice but to try prising the baby's fingers out of his hair himself. No chance in hell! He barked, frustrated, earning more laughs. The door opened again.

"America," James looked up. "You made it."

"Of course I did," Orion walked in.

"I can't believe how much like Sirius you look," Lily said.

"We are close family," Orion shrugged. "Having fun Remus?"

Remus narrowed his eyes, huffing. "Loads."

Orion came over & pulled out his wand. He had bought a new one during the summer after Seventh Year. It was 15 inch pure white birch with a mermaid scale core. With a flick of his wrist, a blade appeared at the tip & in one fluid movement, he shaved the bangs off the werewolf. "Better?"

"You didn't do that. You did NOT just do that!" Remus grabbed a small mirror off the desk. "Oh Merlin! I don't believe it!"

"You look ugly as hell Moony," James snickered.

"Oh come here," Lily used her own wand & gave Remus a military crew cut. Everyone wolf-whistled. Remus rolled his eyes. "I think we should all do that now with Harry around. Babies love pulling hair."

"Yeah good luck with that one," Sirius said. "I'll just ponytail mine for now. I like it long."

Remus passed his hand over his short hair. "Feels odd really." Orion laughed at him & then picked up the baby. Remus eyed him. In fact, the moment Orion had been introduced a few years ago, Remus had been suspicious of him.

The story was that he was very ill & had come home for a much-needed rest. That much Remus believed. When they first met him, he had looked like death itself had crawled out of the grave. But as he got better, the resemblance to Padfoot was uncanny. The scent basically the same. He was friendly enough & Remus liked him but he knew that somewhere a lie had been said...or perhaps at the least, a truth omitted. Orion had looked him over that first day & then promptly pushed his lips back. _'Ah a werewolf pup. That is so cool Sirius! Looks like you're doing a good job of taming him. He's beautiful!'_ (That made Remus blush like nothing else & everyone within earshot laugh until they nearly died from the pain of it!) Just like that. Orion had found out his secret yet accepted him in one breath for what he was. For that Remus was grateful, but the way it was done, so smoothly as if nothing was the matter, put him off. Along with the scent & the resemblance.

Another question was where did Orion come from? No one had ever heard of him before that fateful day that Peter was murdered. Sirius hastily replied that no one talked of 'Uncle Orion' since, being a so-called blood traitor, the Honourable & Most Noble House Of Black had disowned him. So Remus dug deeper; how come Sirius himself had never mentioned another respectable Black besides Andromeda? Sirius merely shrugged & said that he had thought the guy was dead before now. That was easy enough to believe, considering the look of the man in the beginning...but still, Remus was sceptical.

Within a year, Orion had mentioned off-hand that he was an unregistered Animagus as if knowing that the pack would accept him. As if knowing that they were all unregistered Animagi (par Remus himself of course) to keep their werewolf company. He knew none of them would dare mention their illegality, not even to Dumbledore. Remus only watched quietly as Orion showed off his Bald Eagle form. James immediately called out America & the name stuck. Well if nothing else, the Animagical form was supposed to show one's inner character. One could not pick what kind of animal they were, only control what type from the three groups, just like one could not pick their Patronus form. Eagles of any sort were prideful & loyal, perfect symbol for United States of America. Still, Remus knew he was missing something or other. From then on, the pack was complete with four once more; an Eagle instead of a Rat.

Orion Black was definitely hiding something. Worse, Remus somehow knew that Sirius & possibly even James, was covering for him. Remus sighed, watching Orion hand the baby over to Lily. America soon appeared & perched on the railing at the edge of Lily's bed. He began preening.

Harry Potter was brought home a day later & laid to sleep in his crib upstairs. The Eagle perched on one side, looking in with one gold eye. James, Sirius, Remus & Lily crowded around, fussing over the new addition to the pack. Lily eventually made all but America leave the room for fear of waking the poor boy up.

James went about serving some lunch, whistling up the stairs about an hour later to summon the Eagle. Lily lay on the couch, head on Remus's lap, resting, while Sirius set the table. A flurry of feathers all but knocked him over. Sirius glared at America.

"Sorry about that," Orion snickered, running a hand through hair as short as the werewolf's.

Remus narrowed his eyes, trying to imagine that man with long hair. Long like Sirius. He had never seen Orion with long hair (not knowing that Sirius had made Orion shave it down in the unicorn barn & that only after a heated argument). Merlin's sake, what was he missing? Again, he wondered if there was not one but two Sirius Blacks standing before him. Again, he wondered if he had gone crazy & dismissed such a ludicrous thought the next moment.

The pack soon settled into life with a fawn, as Remus referred to Harry even though the baby didn't know a thing about Animagic or any kind of magic at the moment. The pack kept to themselves as much as possible with Harry around. The war had its ups & downs but didn't seem to come too near anyone at the moment.

James however, was beginning to get restless. More than once now, Lily had caught him sitting alone in the dark on the large armchair in the living room, hands folded under chin, staring through his glasses straight ahead at nothing. The first few times, she didn't disturb him but as the habit became more & more regular, Lily decided that the next time he did that she would confront him. James had been gone on an errand for Dumbledore for the past few days. Lily hoped that when he came back, he would stop sitting up at night. She hoped that he had merely been planning his next course of action. Something told her she was wrong.

Lily watered the flowers in front of the house, waiting for James to return later that afternoon. America had flown in that morning with a note from Prongs, after which Orion appeared & grumbled about being used as some ruddy owl. Lily merely threw water at him. The late spring of 1981 was warmer than usual. He would dry. Orion stomped off muttering things under breath that a lady with a baby shouldn't hear.

James came in late that afternoon & the four of them, Orion & little Harry included, had a nice meal under the shade of the birch tree in the back yard. Orion went home soon after "before 'Hornhead' came up with another clever idea to turn him into a common post owl" saying he'd check in on them at the next full moon in a few days.

Lily put Harry down as James got into bed. She lay down beside him & the pair fell asleep. James stayed with her right through that night & the next. The night before full moon however, James was downstairs again, in the dark, staring at nothing. Lily noticed his absence when Harry woke her up, crying for his midnight feeding. She scooped him up & went for a bottle, then entered the living room.

Only to find James Potter sitting there once more.

"Planning the full moon I hope?" Lily honestly asked.

James was startled back to reality as the light came on. "Something like that. Hi there, Prongsie."

"Jim, we don't know if he'll manage a deer or something completely different," Lily laughed at him. "Personally, if he does get into Animagic, I'm hoping for either a fox or dolphin."

"A dol—Lily!" James stared in disbelief. "How can a dolphin help Moony?"

"I'm sure Moony would love to run on a beach one of these nights," Lily said.

James just shook his head. He watched Lily & Harry settle on the floor, Lily holding out a toy plush dragon to Harry. He sighed. "Lily, I have to leave again for a bit."

Lily looked up at him. "Another mission from Dumbledore?"

James closed his eyes, letting out a breath. "Oh, we need to talk." Lily looked horrified. "No! NO! Not like that. I'm not leaving y—Merlin's sake! I could never walk out on you! The best part of my life is you & Harry. It's something else."

"This had better be good, James Prongs Potter," Lily tossed the dragon at Harry's side & then went to the couch to sit down.

James sat beside her. "This Halloween, we're going to have to pull off a huge—& I mean HUGE—prank."

Lily stared at him a moment, then burst out laughing. She punched his arm. "Oh James! You really had me worried for a moment! You're horrible!" After laughing some more, she put on her 'serious Marauder-esse' face. "Alright, what are we doing?"

"I'm not quite sure how, but we'll need a lot of luck," James sighed. "First I need to find something but I'll be lucky to figure out where it is in time. The whole thing will be based on a lot of luck & that seems hard to come by right now."

"Would you like me to brew you some of Felix's Liquid Luck?" Lily teased.

James mouth dropped open & he could only stare in silence for several minutes. There was his answer. How simple! How stupid was he? Liquid Luck. Granted he was horrible at Potions. Of course that would be he last thing he thought of. "...Why...Lily...you're amazing!"

"I was just joking," Lily laughed.

James shot to his feet. "No...no no no. It's perfect. It's totally perfect! Oh Sweet Merlin! It'll work!" He clapped his hands. "This is why I married you, Lily. You're bloody brilliant."

"_Merci (Thank you),"_ Lily spoke one of the few French terms she knew. "Well, if you want to do it that way, how much do you need?"

James thought hard. He needed one to find that final piece. One to help him fake his death properly & succeed. One for Lily, though she wouldn't know until she actually had to use it. He stared into those emerald eyes of hers. "Three."

"Three?" Lily scoffed. What was wrong with her husband? "Jim."

"I need three," James repeated. "In fact, I need one of them to be a double dose as part of my plan will take some time & I can't risk the potion wearing off. It's unpredictable when it wears off isn't it?"

"More or less a day or two," Lily shrugged as she sat back. James had never been so serious in all the time she had known him. She suddenly felt like he wasn't telling her everything. But not wanting to spoil any surprise he most likely had planned for her, she didn't ask now. "Alright dear. Three, one with a double dose."

James stood up & bowed slightly. _"Merci. Excusez-moi (Thank you. Excuse me)."_

Surprised at his continued seriousness & withdrawal, Lily could only watch him head up stairs to bed. At least he was going to bed. She picked up Harry & brought the boy to his crib. Perhaps sleeping on this was a good idea.


	8. Chapter 8

_(Next chapter #9 will be rated M since an unplanned James/Lily scene cropped into it...somehow...just saying. A bit of 'rough fluff' lol Nothing much but just in case...) _

**(8) The Third Piece**

James kept the vials of Liquid Luck in a small safe box at Gringotts. First, he planned a way to get around Lily, Remus, Orion & Sirius without them knowing what he was up to. Once he had left the house alone, he apparated to the Leaky Caldron & ordered himself the strongest drink they had: 'Dragon's Heat'. It dang near killed him! James ordered a second one. Today was the day. He couldn't believe he had to do what he was planning to do.

Reunite the Deathly Hallows & return them to the original bloodline.

It was a hidden secret he had grown up with. Only one person in the family at a time actually knew the truth. Being an only child, he got stuck with it. His father passed him the Invisibility Cloak. James knew the cloak was old. He knew it had been handed down to the eldest child for generations. But that wasn't it. The real secret, came with the Cloak.

He knew that real Invisibility Cloaks often faded & lost their power after a few years. This one...never did. First clue, Sherlock! James shook his head. He knew then that the Cloak was special. He never expected just how special it was. His father had taken him away from home one day to an old cabin up in the mountains. Inside were genealogy charts dating back over a thousand years ago as well as family documents & other legal papers. There, his father had explained it all. There, he was told about the Deathly Hallows & how each went to one of three families, all related by blood of the three brothers. There, James was told that no one knew of the cabin unless the Secret Keeper exposed it, such as his father giving it to James. There, his father had told him that anyone who shared any blood with the three founding brothers of the Hallows would be able to find them if they truly needed to use them & sense if one was near. (Anyone else had a hard long search in front of them.)

When James met Dumbledore, he always had a fascination with the old wizard's wand. Now he knew why. James would get that one last. It would be simple enough. Easier then this accursed Resurrection Stone.

Like the Elder Wand, someone had stolen it. James managed to trace its history all the way back through the Gaunt family. It had been fitted onto a ring & handed down through that family. But something had gone wrong.

James took out the first vial, the double-dose, & drank it.

Feeling suddenly giddy like all was well with the world, James decided he would go on vacation.

Really? Now was not a good time for a vacation. Not at all! James soon found himself in Wales later that day, at an inn by the sea. He decided to go swimming. After about ten minutes of floating in the pristine ocean, James noticed a young woman walking along the shore. Her long blonde braid of hair fell to her hips. She was wearing a royal blue bikini & had a green & yellow wrap-around at her waist that went halfway down her legs. James got out as she came by.

"Nice day," James said, hoping Liquid Luck wouldn't make him disrespect Lily at any cost.

"I've seen better," the girl muttered.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah nothing, family issues," She shrugged. "I'm Heidi by the way."

"Oh uh, James," he said. "I'm having my own family issues right now. I'm trying to find something that belongs to some of my ancestors." He didn't know why he did what he did next, but James, being one of few wizards capable of non-verbal & wandless magic, raised his hand, summoning both his wand & his glasses over to him.

"There," Heidi glared. "That's it. Right there. I can do magic. I got it from my father. My mom can't & we had yet another fight about it."

"Oh you're a muggle-born?" James asked.

Heidi shrugged. "I went to the Salem's Institute for girls. I just finished my last year there."

"I've heard about that school," James said. "Your mother is still upset about it?"

Heidi huffed. "Yeah, she thinks it's abnormal."

"I guess your parents didn't stay together long then," James wanted to kick himself for prying.

"Not at all," Heidi said. "I'm the product of a night fling really. He tried to get to know me, but Mom doesn't like magic. He soon left."

"What's his name?" James asked.

"I'm not to sure," Heidi shrugged. "Mom just called him 'that Gaunt guy' a few times & that was it."

Liquid Luck indeed! "Gaunt?" James gasped. He said vaguely, "They're like very very distant cousins of mine."

"Really?" Heidi smiled a bit.

"Yeah, I'm trying to find out more about them actually," James said. "A family heirloom. Some ring. It went missing. I'm trying to find it."

"Well, I looked up what I could about that family while in school," Heidi said. "There's not much but there is an old shack that's still under the Gaunt name."

James couldn't believe it. After getting fully dressed & picking up his belongings on the beach, Heidi took him to a house by the shore about five minute walk from the hotel. She showed him the deed to the shack & told him what little information she had on it. But it was enough. James felt a strong impression to go to that shack so after saying his goodbye's he apparated away.

To the Ministry Of Magic. James wondered why he came here but without further hesitation, he headed straight for the office of Articus Greyson, an old wizard with short grey hair & an excellent curse breaker. Very expensive to hire. Articus just happened to be in a slow period with his job & was eager to come along.

The next time James apparated, with Articus in tow, he finally ended up where he originally wanted to go. The Gaunt shack stood on a cliff above them. The pair followed the stairs carved into the rock, up to the shack.

Articus put a hand on James. "You were very wise to hire me," he said. "It will take a day or two to break in there. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Definitely," James nodded.

Articus spent most of the night working at breaking through the shields around the place. James kept a fire going, cooking up a few fish he had caught from the small river nearby. When Articus finally took a break, the fish were ready. "I'm almost at the door," Articus said between bites.

"I didn't expect you to work all night," James said apologetically. "You can rest you know. We'll get that door open tomorrow."

"Nah it's fine," Articus waved it away. "I've been bored back at the office. Thanks for getting me out. I'll crack the door, then rest."

"Alright," James gave up. He lay back, staring at the sky. Full moon. Damn it, he was missing Moony's time of month. Oh well. He was running out of time. James ran over in his head those two letters he had read a few years ago. Halloween 1981. It was still several months away. James didn't go looking for any of the Hallows earlier than now for the simple fact that they had a habit of disappearing on you almost immediately. Apart from his own Cloak. He didn't want the Hallows to switch allegiance to someone else right at the moment he needed them most. Especially the wand! That was a right royal pain in the a—er uh piece of work. He fell asleep.

"Potter? Mister Potter!"

"Call me Jim," James mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Jim Potter!"

"What?" James moaned, sitting up. Fumbling about for his glasses, he found them above his head, lying on the ground. "Articus? What happened?"

"I've been at it all night," Articus said. "There's an evil in that shack! You don't want to be going in anywhere near it."

"Can we get in?"

"Yes but there's something devilish in there."

"I don't want that," James assured. "I'm merely looking for a family ring. I don't even know if it's in there or not. It's my only shot at it really."

"Oh aye! I found your ring laddie."

"You did?" James shot to his feet. "Brilliant! Where is it?"

"I thought you told me you didn't want the evil in this shack?"

"I don't."

"Then why are you so keen to get your hands on that dark sorcery?"

James was confused. His father never said that the Deathly Hallows were evil. He knew his cloak wasn't. He doubted Dumbledore, of all people, was a Death Eater. "I don't," James insisted. "I just want the ring. Someone stole it from my family & I want it back."

"Well, you might want to rethink that one," Articus said. "Your ring's been cursed. Don't touch it!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"There's a piece of a soul in it."

"What?" James didn't think he heard right.

"Someone turned it into a Horcrux," Articus launched into a full explanation. James listened with rapt attention. "This is evil incarnate," Articus finished. "Very bad."

"You can't break that curse?" James asked when he was done.

"Not something that evil," Articus shook his head. "At least not right away. I'd have to research it."

James sighed. "Can you leave the band itself & just get the stone off it? I can merely refit the stone into a new one."

Articus thought that over. "I could probably do that. But whatever we do, that ring itself is not to be touched." Articus worked most of the morning, levitating the ring in front of him, trying to prise out the great black stone with a picture carved into it of a circle inside a triangle with one vertical line from the top point down to the base through the whole thing.

James suddenly felt like he should go for a walk & followed the river a bit, perhaps to catch some more fish. In the water, he saw a black stone. He picked it up & flicked out his wand, forming a knife at one end. Walking back to the campsite, he carved the same picture into it. He handed it over. "Trick the ring. Put that fake stone in place of the real one."

Amazed, Articus just stared at James for a moment before taking the stone. Using his own wand, he shaped it exactly to look like the other one. "Now to get that one off & this one on before we're both dead."

"I'll cook some more fish," James said, feeling like all was well. He went to catch a few more & began cooking them, using a small pouch of herbs he had in his bag.

When the fish were ready, he put one on a stick & handed it over. Articus handed over the stone. "I got it." James took it in one hand. "The ring's back in that cabin with the fake stone. Some of the shields went back up, but not all. Whoever put that Horcrux in there wanted to be certain it was never destroyed."

"Did you destroy it then?"

"No," Articus shook his head. "I'm not sure what can destroy a Horcrux."

"Well thanks for this," James put the Resurrection Stone into his bag. "It's more important. A gold band can be replaced. But not a family crest."

"No problem," Articus smiled. "I'm glad you took me on this quest. I now have something to do when I get back."

The pair laughed as they finished their fish. James & Articus apparated away soon after, Articus back to his office & James to Diagon Alley for a few more things before heading home.

The moment he landed on his doorstep, James was greeted by a flurry of feathers. He put a hand on the large feathery chest & shoved. "America! Get off!" The Eagle perched on the railing of the front porch & screamed. "OWWW!" James yelped, covering his ears. "Ear rape!" Orion soon appeared, laughing at him. James just glared as he headed inside.

Now came the hard part. Confronting Lily. It was time to let her in on the Marauder's secret.

_(Don't worry, I have a plan set up to keep this in canon as much as possible. The Stone will still end up inside the Snitch for Harry Potter, by Dumbledore himself as usual.)_


	9. Chapter 9

_(Remember ...there's a bit of James/Lily in here near the middle. Next chapter #10 will go back to a lower rating.)_

**(9) The Flowers Wept**

Lily put Harry down for the night & then stretched arms over head. She closed the door halfway behind her as she exited the nursery & headed down stairs. James was sitting dead center of the couch in the living room, arms spread out on either side over the top. His lap & the upper part of his legs was invisible under his Cloak. But it was his face more than anything else that nearly gave Lily a heart attack. He was looking straight at her, dead serious, almost as if he was mad at her. Lily slowly moved into the living room & sat down opposite James in the large armchair. She wanted to say something, but didn't trust her voice. What had she done?

"I think it's time I told you exactly what's going on," James suddenly began without prompting. "First of all, Sirius & Orion have known since Year 7 but not Remus. Not yet. Not that we're trying to be mean to him. It's just that the less anyone knows the better & it's on a need-to-know basis. We'll tell Remus eventually, but not now. Clear?"

Lily swallowed & felt a little better. At least, it seemed like James was talking about something other then their relationship. She hoped so. She had never been so happy & hoped nothing would ever ruin that. "Alright. Tell Remus later. Got it."

"The second thing is, after I'm done telling you what's happening," James sighed before going on. "you might look at Peter in a different light. I tell you now, I do not. He died in his innocence & is acquitted of crimes he otherwise would have committed. Please try to understand that. You'll also know who killed him & why."

"James! You knew?"

James raised a hand to silence her. When she sat back in her chair once more, he went on. "Third thing, I'm about to ask you to do some crazy things," he continued. "You must trust me explicitly for it will mean all our lives, including Harry's. Do you trust me, Lily?"

"Yes, of course."

"Trust me unto death itself?"

"Jim, I would die for you & Harry."

James raised an eyebrow at that. She had no idea what she just vowed, poor girl. "Do you love me, Lily?"

"Forever. James! Always," Lily said, wondering why he had to ask that question. She didn't have to wonder for long. James lowered his arms from the top of the couch & leaned forward, hands folded in his unseen lap. He appraised her silently for several moments. Lily was starting to feel uncomfortable but before she could break the awkward silence, he suddenly launched into an explanation of the most bizarre story Lily had ever heard.

By the end of his elucidation, Lily was on her feet pacing back & forth, both hands over mouth. James sat forward, head bowed with his clasped hands now held up against his brow. Lily continued to pace. Back & forth. Back & forth. Back & forth. James suddenly shot to his feet, Cloak now hiding the floor. He grabbed Lily by the shoulders. "Say something. Anything!"

Lily could not make eye contact. Keeping her face turned away, all she could say was, "...James..."

"Lily, it's the only way."

"You're insane!" Lily pulled away.

"It's that or we literally go into hiding for possibly the rest of our lives," James said. "Any day now, we can get the call from Dumbledore. He'll tell us to go into hiding. First time around, we were betrayed & killed for real. Poor dear Padfoot! The horrors he went through. Thank God our son finds that girl at Hogwarts. Her Time-turner gave us all a second chance."

Lily turned a green gaze on him & for once, James was thankful she didn't have the power to kill with a look. Aveda Kedavra left behind a green residue that matched her eyes. "While I admit that I've had more moments of déjà vu than I can count, I—James! Time travel? I can not…what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Ask Sirius. Or...yeah...Sirius. Either of them," James said. Lily turned away to stare out the window. "Particularly the older one since he's the time jumper."

Lily shook her head, her long loose hair waving back & forth. James could see her reflection glaring back at him. "Man you boys weren't kidding when you said he was ill. Remus said—oh no wonder Orion knew what Remus is! Remus said he looked like death came out of a grave when we first met Orion. I believed him." She suddenly whirled on James & advanced towards him. She grabbed his collar in one hand & pulled him close. "Are you asking me to believe that it's because of Az...Azkaban?" James nodded. "The Dementors?" Another nod. "FOR TWELVE YEARS?"

"Innocent years, I might say."

Lily gasped, taking a few steps back. "This...this is mad!"

"We can go into hiding for the rest of our lives," James repeated. "Twelve years of that, you'll know what madness is. If we use the Hallows though, we can all be saved & everyone else out there. It wouldn't be just our lives. We would all be free."

"I can not believe you're asking me to do this."

"Fact is, I'm not," James said. "You're the one that has to be Death's Mistress. Ultimately, it's your choice. Lily!" He grabbed her & spun her back to him, into his arms. "If you don't want to do it, I can make either of our Padfoots the Secret Keeper & we'll take Remus & the other Padfoot down with us. Remus wouldn't like losing contact with his pack. At least I know Sirius would never betray us."

"I can't believe Peter would," Lily put her face in his shoulder. "That's the most difficult thing you're asking me to believe. Peter was such a sweet boy."

"Yes & he died that way. It's how I wish to remember him." James held her close. They swayed gently for several minutes in silence. "Lily," James finally breathed. "What do you want me to do? Give you the Hallows? Or call Moony, Padfoot & America?"

Lily sighed in his arms. "Petunia. I want to see Petunia."

James held her back so he could look in her eyes. "Lily, she hates you."

Lily stared at the floor, wiping tears that insisted on falling. "She's my sister."

James nodded, giving up. "Alright. First thing in the morning," He scooped Lily up in his arms & laid her on the floor. "I think Moony's coming over. He can take care of Harry while we're gone." He lay down beside her, putting his glasses on the floor above their heads.

"It's been ages," Lily said, staring at the ceiling. "Perhaps she has a better opinion now."

"Let's hope," James tried not to scoff. He ran a hand up her body, starting from the top of her leg nearest to him & sliding up to her throat. The top of her white satin nightgown had a low V-line & he easily slipped his hand inside.

"James," Lily sighed, eyes closed.

She raised a hand to his chest, undoing buttons. She soon had the shirt open. He sat up to let it fall to the side. He pulled Lily up with him, pushing the V-line open enough for her to slip out. She then lay back & raised her hips so he could finish pulling it off. He lay over her, kissing her dorsal line from her stomach up to her breasts, then her throat.

Lily could feel him thrusting instinctively. She put her hands on his chest & held him off. He pushed one hand down her body until he found his belt. He fumbled with the clasp. Lily laughed at him.

"Merlin's sake!" James rolled off. "Fine powerful pureblood I am. Can't even get my belt undone!"

Lily shoved him flat on his back & took over. She grabbed both his wrists & pinned his hands to either side. "Need help?" She straddled his hips & leaned over to kiss his chest. "Hmm, not so curly when you're not Prongs"

"I can remedy that."

"We'll see," Lily slid her whole body down.

And deftly opened his belt buckle with her teeth. James rolled his eyes. "Show off."

"You like it." She finally got his trousers off with one hand. She sat on his hips once more. James put one hand on either breast & arched his back under her. They both gasped as he went in. He shifted from James to Prongs. "My breasts don't like your hooves."

"Sorry," He shifted back. Lily rubbed the imprints before leaning over to kiss his throat. "Can't...Can't control the shape shifting...some times."

Lily laughed softly against his throat, then moved up a little to kiss his lips. James was heaving faster under her. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his hands onto her shoulder blades. They rocked back & forth a few times before James flipped them both over so that he was now on top.

He moved his hands to the front of her shoulders & pressed down. It was Lily's turn to arch her back as he hit that special spot. "Merlin! Don't move!" Lily gasped. James held that thrust, pushing in harder. Lily's body suddenly went into a spasm. It made him twist sideways against her movements. They both went over nearly at the same time. James collapsed onto her. He put his hands onto her hips, then stroked upwards to her face, finally resting his hands on the floor on either side. After several moments of getting their breath under control, James moved off to the side & held Lily with one arm over her side. With a snap of his fingers, the fire sprang to life & they lay side by side, facing it, sleeping in its warmth.

James woke up first & disentangled himself from Lily. He pulled one of Harry's blankets off a table & laid it over her, petting back some red hair from her face. With a sly grin, James picked up both their clothes & strode naked to the laundry room. Leaving the pile there, he entered the washroom & turned on the shower. Lily would have no choice but to join him. He took his time, letting the water run hot. Hearing Lily mutter something about not leaving her dress, he stepped inside & pulled the curtain. Then shifted to Prongs.

"James!" Lily called out, entering the washroom. "You could have left my dress behind, you know." She pulled back the curtain & recoiled with a little yelp. A 24-spread perched above a grin greeted her. Seeing deer grin was an odd sight, even if one was married to James Potter. Lily cast Harry's blanket aside & stepped in. "You're incorrigible!"

"You love me for it," James said as he shifted back. He started soaping Lily's long hair.

"Unfortunately," Lily teased, back still toward him. She suddenly felt herself yanked back as his arms came around. He moved his hands up to her breasts & held her as he pressed up against her back. Lily stepped backwards into his embrace, letting him move with her. Neither of them lasted more than five seconds. "Let me guess," Lily asked once he was finished. "Morning wand?"

"You spend WAY to much time with Sirius."

"Well I apparently hung out with two of them at once," Lily laughed. "What do you expect?"

"Good point," James muttered.

"One out of twenty four."

"Oh shut up!" James ordered, earning more laughter.

They finished their shower & got dressed just in time. Remus appeared at the door barely five minutes later. Lily settled Harry in his outside playpen as Remus nearly literally flipped himself into the hammock & it was only a well placed 'carpe retractum' from James that righted the werewolf before he went sprawling onto the ground.

James took Lily's hand & they apparated together to Privet Drive. James disappeared into the bushes as Lily went halfway to the door before hesitating. Prongs soon appeared in a front yard across the street & put his head down, pretending to nibble. Lily looked at the driveway but didn't see the car. Vernon was most likely already gone to work. She took another step.

The door opened & none other than her sister Petunia came out. She was carrying a baby. Lily stared. She didn't know she was an aunt now. After coming down the stairs, Petunia caught sight of the red-headed woman in her yard. She almost dropped the baby.

Lily clasped both hands to her breast, wondering what she was doing here. "Hi," she said weakly.

"What are you doing here?" Petunia asked, glancing around.

"I-I-I'm...not quite sure," Lily said. They stared at each other for a long time. "I see you have a baby now. I do to. A little boy. Harold. We call him Harry for short."

"I see," Petunia muttered. Another awkward stare down. The Stag raised his head. "What's that deer doing in Mrs. Angie's garden?"

"I uh, I don't know," Lily honestly answered.

Petunia moved forward, waving her free hand. "Shoo! SHOO I say!"

Lily turned to glare, discreetly jerking her thumb in some general direction. Prongs took the hint & bounded away. "Most unusual to see something like that here."

"Everything about you is unusual, Lily."

Lily rubbed her forehead. "I just...I..." Her sister still hated her. Lily tried not to cry, feeling stupid enough for coming here. "How's Vernon?"

"He's fine," Petunia glared at her. "Why did you come here?"

"I..." Lily shrugged. "I just wanted to check up on you. It's been a long time."

Petunia's jaw twitched. She finally grated out, "How's that school boy, Potter?"

"We're out of school now," Lily said lightly. "He's fine."

"You're lucky you came here while Vernon's gone to work," Petunia muttered. She turned a bit & Lily could see the baby's face. "Dudley. His name is Dudley."

"He's cute," Lily smiled at him. She pulled out her wallet & opened it to a picture of a baby. "This is Harry."

Petunia glanced at it quickly, but glance at it she did. Lily felt relieved. "Looks like that Potter boy."

"Very much so," Lily managed a laugh.

"I supposed he'll end up the same way," Petunia said.

"We hope so, but there's no way to tell yet," Lily said, knowing her sister was referring to magical talent.

"I haven't heard from you for ages," Petunia suddenly went on. "Then suddenly, you show up here. Something's going on. You & that Potter boy breaking up?"

"No," Lily shook her head. "We're great together."

"Then what is it?" Petunia asked flatly.

Lily sighed. "I think...There's someone out there—he...Petunia. I just wanted to see if you were ok before—in case I died."

Petunia stared at her. "Are you ill?"

"No, but there's war going on," Lily said. "I just wanted to see you again." After a long moment she added the nickname she called her sister as a child. "Pet."

Petunia turned up her nose, thinking. "You said 'he'. Who is that?"

"Voldemort," Lily said. "He's incredibly gifted in the Dark Arts but he also believes in pureblood magic only & kills any of us who aren't pure. Like me. James is pureblood. He would be fine if it weren't for his attachment to me."

Petunia huffed. "Then you wonder why I was always against this. Magic can't be good. At all."

"You're the only sister I have," Lily tried again.

Petunia stared at her. "I can say the same for you."

Lily looked up at her sister. Petunia did care. She actually did! "Then I'll stay alive, just for you." At that, she turned & ran down the street out of sight. Petunia turned back to the house, Dudley asleep in her arms. A few silent tears fell on his face.

Lily found Prongs standing in a thicket behind the park at Magnolia Crescent. James grabbed her hand & they apparated away.

The moment they appeared at their own front doorstep, Lily said, "I know what my choice will be."

_(The Lily/Petunia thing, based upon a deleted scene in DH2 when Petunia tells Harry, "You didn't just lose your parents that night. I lost my sister."_

_Anyway. Yeah…ok…totally did NOT plan a J/L scene at all & CERTAINLY NOT using his Animagus form, even for a second! Fucking Titanic. AGAIN! I'm NOT kidding. This is actually the second time I do this. Write a sex scene while having Titanic's Soundtrack playing in the background. First one's in my Sherlock BBC fic Broken Bow. (Uh don't check unless yalls into Mycroft/random men…yeah…never mind LOL) Walk away from Titanic Soundtrack lady…just walk away. No one will get hurt.)_


	10. Chapter 10

**(10) The Great Divide**

"Are you sure?" James stood in front of the kitchen sink, staring out the window into the backyard. Remus was resting in the hammock still while Harry was crawling around his playpen.

"Yes," Lily said.

James turned to face his wife. "Alright," He stepped forward & wrapped his arms around her waist. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Alright, let's do this. The second vial of Liquid Luck is for you. But not right now. We'll wait until October for it."

"Me? Why?"

"You have to win the Elder Wand's trust," James put it bluntly.

"How?"

"Beat its owner in a duel," James hesitated before adding. "Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"The Elder Wand is a bit different," James explained. "The one wielding it will win all duels. So you have to trick it somehow. We'll come up with that later."

Lily glared, wondering if she dared to ask. "Who?"

James kissed her neck, nipped her earlobe, then Frenched her. His hands slipped under the waistline of her white summer skirt with roses embroidered in lace around the hem. He pushed it down, then twisted them both sideways, still kissing her. Lily dimly wondered if Remus would walk in on them but was more interested in getting closer to James that she soon forgot the werewolf was outside. She felt her mate inside her as they both went into the wall. After a few frantic thrusts, they both got off. James stepped back, panting.

"You're going to get me pregnant again if you keep that wand of yours," she pointed at a spot just below his belt. "up all the time."

James laughed. "Perhaps I should. But after Halloween." He re-did his belt as he swaggered backwards a few times until the edge of the table stopped him. James leaned back a little, hands clasping the edge. "Dumbledore."

"What?"

"His wand," James said. "It's the Elder Wand."

Lily stared at him, her mouth opening & closing like a goldfish. "Wait a minute! WHAT?"

"Get that wand away from him," James crossed his arms.

"No. NO! James! You don't do that!" Lily held up her hand, finger pointing accusingly at him. "Dumbledore is one of us. A Light wizard! He needs his own wand in this war! I say no!"

"It's only for one night, Lily," James shrugged. "Fawkes can take care of him."

"No. Not Dumbledore!" Lily stepped back. "You want me to challenge Dumbledore in a duel & disarm him? Trick him into giving up his own wand? You're insane!"

"Did I not warn you that I would ask you to do some crazy things?" James glared. "Did I not ask you to trust & love me still?"

"James! This is Dumbledore we're talking about here!"

"One night, Lily!" James insisted. "The next day, I don't care how you give it back but we need that wand in your hand on Halloween or you're dead for good."

Lily thought it over. "What if I disarm him but leave the wand in his hands? He could still use it."

"No," James replied flatly.

"Why not?"

"If Dumbledore gets into a fight with that wand & just maybe, loses, then whoever wins will earn its allegiance & you're still dead. I talked to Ollivander about wands. That's why they pick us. They form allegiances with us if they like us or are won by us."

"The wand chooses the wizard or witch, Potter!"

"Not the Elder Wand," James said. "It's based on Death itself & is often stolen & swapped around. Who knows where its true allegiance lies by now? Dumbledore may not even be its true master. Who knows? The only way to know for sure that you are its Mistress is to earn it rightfully in some sort of duel or trick. It's one night Lily!"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Lily turned away.

"Prongs," came the soft call of their werewolf as he stepped into the kitchen, Harry in his arms. "Is something wrong?" Lily scoffed & stomped past the Moon Dog without another word.

"I'm trying to set up Lily & Dumbledore in a little game," James shrugged, hating the lie. Well it wasn't quite a lie but it was vague enough. "A nice little friendly duel. Lily & Dumbledore. Who'd win? It would take everyone's mind off the war for a bit, you know?"

Remus scoffed so sharply, he bared fangs. Harry pointed at one. "Sha'p!"

"Sharp," Remus corrected. "Prongs, you're nuts. Dumbledore would obviously win, hands down."

"You think I can't do it?" Lily snapped from behind. Remus whirled around. "You think I'm scared to challenge Dumbledore?"

"I uh I didn't say that," Remus grinned nervously.

Harry pointed again. "S'arp!" Did he get it now?

"Sharp," Remus licked the tip of the baby's nose. Harry honestly looked crestfallen. He WILL say that word.

Lily marched past Remus to stand by James, muttering under breath, "Darn Moon Dog."

"Unny!" Harry cried out. "Unny!"

"Moony!" James, Remus & Lily corrected.

"'Harp Oony!" Harry tried again.

Remus shook his head, laughing. "He's getting there."

James smirked at the Wolf with the baby, then turned to Lily. "So you'll do it?"

"Do I have a choice?" Lily glared at Remus. He'll learn the hard way. Besides, he didn't know she would be using some Liquid Luck.

"I'll start making some bets with Padfoot & America," Remus handed Harry over to James.

"You do that," Lily smirked. Once Remus was gone, she turned on James & held out her hand. "Vial please!"

James kissed her nose. "In due time, my love. In due time."

They spent that last summer together away from the war as much as possible. Four Aurors & one Light werewolf missing from the front lines had others in the actual battles wondering where some of their best fighters had gone off to. Sirius & Orion were the ones to make the most appearances. Remus, being the Alpha, tried to bounce between the two sides of his pack as much as possible.

But only Lily, Sirius & Orion knew that they had the end of the war all planned out.

Only James knew the most of it. He didn't tell Lily he had to fake his death. The Hallows could not have two masters. He had to stall the Dark Lord himself while Lily got ready to set up Voldemort's downfall. One misstep & the great Stag would be dead for real. It could all go so wrong, so fast.

Liquid Luck. It would work. It had to.

The duel was set for the day before Halloween. James cringed at how close he was trying to pull this off but he had no other choice. Of all the Hallows, the Elder Wand was the least predictable. He had already fitted the Resurrection Stone into a glossy pendant & given it to Lily as a gift. She wore it constantly around her neck, the long chain plunging the stone pendant down her cleavage so no one but James himself would see it.

The Cloak was the easiest Hallow to deal with. James planned on giving it to her simply as a cover for a cool night by the fire. The Cloak wouldn't mind, so long as someone was there to caress it & hide under its protective folds.

James sighed as the day to get the Elder Wand drew nearer. He had two problems to worry about. His re-enacted grand death scene, which he still fretted about despite having Liquid Luck handy. What if the Dark Wizards noticed him playing dead on the floor even if all things went smoothly?

The duel was the other thing. Fact was, Dumbledore had no clue. The other Marauders, even Sirius & uh Si—Orion, thought that it was merely all in good fun. James had yet to tell any of them the full scope of what he was doing. James rubbed his temples with both hands, feeling another migraine coming on. He had a vague idea of what caused the near-killing migraine in Seventh Year, but wasn't prepared to voice his opinion.

Not yet.

His mind also kept lingering on the topic of Horcruxes. That discussion happened while he was under the double-dose of Liquid Luck & James knew it was somehow important. Felix's power had told him so. But not exactly why.

All too soon, James got the message he was waiting for. Dumbledore urged the Potter family to go into hiding. It was about a week before Halloween. The entire pack gathered at the Potter's mansion for one last get together. Who knew how long they would have to go under? Well James & Lily knew it would only last until Halloween. Sirius & Orion had a vague idea due to the first time warp but neither were still quite sure how James was planning to do it this time around.

It was Remus who took it the hardest. He held Harry close, trying hard not to cry. Would the next time he laid eyes on the pack's one & only cub be when Harry was an adult? An old man? When?

Harry put a finger on the werewolf's upper lip. "SHARP!"

"_Oui (Yes),"_ Remus wept softly. "You got it little one." He growled in play at the baby, baring all four points. Harry clapped his hands & squealed in laughter. With great difficulty, he handed Harry over to their Patriot, wondering if that was the last time he'd ever hold the child. "Where's James?"

"Taking a shower actually," Lily said.

Remus stared. How...odd. Was the old hornhead not taking this separation 'Siriusly' or what? _"__Excusez-moi__ (Excuse me),"_ He left the living room as Padfoot curled up on the floor around Harry when Orion put him down before changing to America. The Patriot perched on the railing of the indoor playpen. Remus just wanted to be alone for a moment. How could this be happening? He ended up going down the hall towards the large parlour. The last door on the left opened into the large washroom that had a bath nearly the size of the Prefect's Bath at Hogwarts.

That door suddenly opened as Remus walked passed. James stood, still quite wet, towel in hand. "Moony, how you holding up?"

Remus stopped & stared at the floor a moment. He shrugged. James wound up his towel & held either end in each hand. He swung the rolled towel over the werewolf's head & pulled. Remus was jolted forward & landed in James's arms. "You're still wet," Remus grumbled.

James dropped the towel & wrapped his arms around Remus. "It'll be ok Moony. The war won't last forever." He nipped his Alpha's throat in greeting, then nuzzled into his shoulder, nipping the flesh again through the sky-blue shirt Remus was wearing. His teeth caught the edge of an old scar that came over Moony's left shoulder & going up the side of his neck. James began sucking at it until his Alpha responded.

Remus held on to his pack-mate, feeling the wet skin slide easily under his palms. He ran his hands up & down James's back. Smooth & sleek, unlike his own lunar-slashed body. He felt a stray soap sud slip over his hand & followed it downwards along the perfect skin of his Stag, stopping at James's tailbone. He rested both hands on either side at James's hips. He suddenly pulled James to the floor & lay over him. Growling softly, Remus put his hands on James's chest over his pecks, while pressing his hips down firmly, demanding dominance. James turned his face away, looking at the wall. Accepting his submission, Remus lowered his head to whisper in James's ear, "I hope so."

James put his hands on Moony's shoulders to push his werewolf up a bit. He finally looked him in the eye. "We'll be ok. It'll be a little while. Only a little while. Then we'll be together again." Remus huffed, getting off & standing. He offered a hand for James & helped him up. James bent down to pick up the towel & flipped it over one shoulder, then walked, naked & wet, to the bedroom to get changed. Remus leaned back against the wall & slowly slid down, crying. First Wormtail. Now Prongs. It was only a matter of time before he lost his entire pack. It felt like his world was falling apart.

When the pack was together one last time in the living room, James looked at Sirius & Orion. "One of you stays to be my Secret Keeper. The other takes care of Moony while we're out. Anyone not doing the Fidelus Charm should head home," He hesitated before adding, "One last thing. I've got an idea of what caused our migraine in Seventh Year. If I'm right, we'll all suffer another one when this month is over so prepare yourselves." Then without further explanation, he turned away, arms crossed, back towards everyone. James would not interfere any more than he had to. Horcruxes. What the bloody hell was so important about them? He stayed silent, staring out the window until Lily herself had to smack him to sense. James turned around at last. His eyes landed first on his potential Secret Keeper.

Sirius.

The younger.

"You then?"

Sirius nodded. "I figured my older self suffered enough separation from Moony. He should be the one to take care of our Moon Dog," He stood up to leave. "I should go outside & get started."

"Not so fast."

Slightly confused, Sirius turned back. "Was there something else?"

"As you know, we're dealing with two timelines," James began. Sirius rolled his eyes. He was so sick of Time. "When I give the order, you will release us from the shield. Understand?"

Sirius looked horrified. Everyone knew Sirius would be their Keeper but only a few Marauders knew anything more. What if James got killed when Sirius lowered the shield? It could all look bad for him. Azkaban! Would he end up there...on James's orders? _"Non (No)!"_

As if reading his mind, James shook his head. "I'm not sending you to Azkaban. Besides even if you did end up there, it wouldn't even be for a day. I'd get you right out. Don't worry about it."

Sirius glanced at Lily but she was firmly looking at Harry, pretending to play with the baby & his favorite plush dragon. "What are you talking about?"

James handed over a small package with a letter stuck to it. "Open that after Halloween. You'll understand all then. But I must have your word now. When I tell you to release us, you will. There are two ways out of this charm. You betray me to Voldemort, which I know of course you won't do. Or you release us upon orders of those under your shield."

Sirius finally nodded. "Prongs I don't know what you're up to. But the sooner this is all over the better." He put the package in a pocket under his robes. Sirius was dressed in full Auror robes combined with his biker's chaps. He had been expecting this moment for a while. He was covered in full black, a satin cloak that actually reflected the stars when he was outside at night, draped over his leather uniform. His leather biking gloves were fur lined. The only other colors was a ribbon of silver (the color, not the metal) outlining the cloak's edge & real gold clasps on the belt buckle & at his throat, holding his cloak down. His bike, freshly polished, was waiting in the driveway, helmet over handlebars.

"It will be over by Halloween."

Sirius paused at the door but didn't look back. What the hell was the great Stag planning? He pulled out his wand & stepped out into the night, a half moon rising in the sky. James & Lily moved to the front porch to watch as Sirius danced around their property, layering the protective cover of the Fidelus Charm over the entire household.

Sirius swayed back & forth, twisting one way then another. He held his wand at both ends, leaning back almost in a ballet pose. He released one end & holding on to its handle, he raised it up above his head, royal blue sparks shooting upwards to the starry sky, falling back gently over the grounds.

Rays of the Grim's power began radiating outward. He came around to the front of the house again. Sirius suddenly appeared as if he was standing on a pedestal of his spell-weaving. His cloak flared out around him as he spun, the stars of the universe shimmering this way & that over its glossy surface. Sirius danced forward to one side, twirling the wand back & forth in front of him, letting the shield drift down gently from the sky. He moved back to the center. His wand now held straight in front of him, tip pointing downward like Knight's sword, as he gripped it with both hands. He fell to one knee, plunging the wand's tip into the ground that had suddenly reappeared under him. James & Lily felt a small quake. Their Grim had done it. The shield was up.

_(OK: For the dance Sirius the younger did, go to youtube & find Yuna's funeral dance of Final Fantasy X (10). I totally ripped that one off. LOL_

_As for the romance/'bromance' scenes; no I was NOT listening to Titanic's Soundtrack so I have no idea where that second J/L...or that J/R scene for that matter...came from. That said, yes I TOTALLY ripped off some lines of Titanic, lines spoken on the REAL ship not just in the movie. The father to his little girls in the lifeboat 'only a little while'. ANYway...for the record, I don't ship James/Remus but view them as close friends. Remus should be with Sirius or Tonks for me. That said, being pack mates, I'm sure the MWPP are quite used to each other's birthday suits not only for that but for being in the same Hogwart's House & sharing the showers & wouldn't care too much anyway, hence why I let James walk to the bedroom naked in front of Remus.)_


	11. Chapter 11

**(11) The Bird & The Bee**

Remus stretched out his full length before snuggling closer into his Patriot's arms. Unable to eat or even speak, the pair had reclined onto Orion's King-sized bed, waiting for Sirius to return. Remus whimpered softly. Already, memories of where he had just been were beginning to fade. He was no longer quite sure exactly where the Stag was living any more. He hated this but he forced the Alpha dominance of Moony aside, knowing it was for the best.

Remus lay his head down against Orion's bare chest. His eyes started wandering over the smooth skin of the Patriot, marred only by ink. This was the first time he saw the tattoos up close & he began reading them to himself. On one arm was the Brotherhood tattoo: MWPP. They all had that. Remus wondered why America had MWPP on him, but no A. Perhaps he should mention adding an A to it but again, the feeling that 'America' was already in the Marauders mark nagged the back of his mind. He whined, pushing that ridiculous thought aside once more. His tongue rasped against the center of Orion's breastbone, between his pecks. He felt Orion sigh in his sleep.

"_Moonlove, allez dormir (Moonlove, go to sleep),"_ Orion murmured, giving the werewolf's side a slight cuff.

Remus raised his head. There was only one Marauder who ever teased him with that term. Just one & he was not America. At that moment, his eyes landed on a numerical tattoo over Orion's right shoulder. Above a row of numbers was 'Azn'. Remus stared at it. Azn was short...for Azkaban. He had never noticed that mark before.

Everything suddenly fell into place. Orion had been in Azkaban. No wonder he looked like hell that first day he had come into their lives. That first day. Of course. So that's why he had known what Remus was. Orion had betrayed himself tonight by using that nickname. Still lying in his Patri—in the arms of the Prisoner Of Azkaban, Remus gazed down at him, thinking hard. He knew Orion's age. He knew Sirius's age. He began doing the math. The year he came up with made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It was impossible, but as Sherlock said, whatever remains no matter how improbable must be the truth.

He suddenly thought of 'Wormtail's Moon', the full moon on which Peter had been murdered. That Padfoot he had been with. Orion? He had to be Orion. That's why Sirius was in the hospital wing all that time; why James insisted Sirius had never left. Remus drew in a shuddering breath. That Padfoot who had been with him, this man America, was just before he had knowingly first seen Orion. Was that why he didn't transform back? Had he been wearing prison robes? Why?

Orion sighed & looked up, meeting a golden glare. His heart stopped. The way Remus was looking at him, sizing him up. It was meticulous. Calculating. He hated to think it but the glowing glare was pure evil. He felt his heart start to race suddenly & for the first time in his life, he feared Moony. Remus raised one brow, glaring down in a vicious yellow. Orion lay perfectly still, considering his options. If he switched to America, he would be an easy target. Bird's necks were easily broken. One bite. He was done for. If he switched to his old Padfoot he had a better chance but would blow his cover & that was assuming he could even do Padfoot anymore. He had forgotten what being a Grim felt like, it had been so long. Orion concentrated on his heartbeat, trying to calm down. Above all else, wolves fed on fear.

Orion sighed again. _"Moony, tu me suivre (Moony, you're keeping me up)."_

Remus flicked his brow again. _"Suis-je (Am I)?"  
_  
Orion half-raised his hand to pet the werewolf, thought better of it & ended up scratching his own head. _"Quel est le __problème__ (What's wrong)?"_

"J'ai tellement de questions en ce moment (I have so many questions right now),"

Remus said softly. _"J'ai besoin de réponses (I need answers)."_

"Comme quoi (Like what)?"

Remus slid one hand up Orion's chest & towards his right shoulder. With one long slender finger, he traced the mark of the prison. _"Je suppose que je dois attendre l'an 1994 pour demander (I suppose I have to wait until the year 1994 to ask)."_ The pair stared each other down. _"Ai-je raison (Am I right)?"_

Orion felt his stomach lurch. Calm down Moony. Just calm down._ "Il serait mieux de cett façon. Je vous remercie (It would be better that way. Thank you)."_

"Vous

_êtes__ les Bienvenus (You're welcome),"_ Remus lay his head down onto Orion's chest again & allowed himself to be petted. After another shaky breath he added, "Padfoot." Orion's hand faltered on the werewolf's hair. That confirmed everything in the Moon Dog's mind. Impossible as it was, he had two Padfoots in his pack (one of them a criminal?) & there was no way around it.

Remus soon fell sound asleep, his loud snore vibrating through Orion's chest. Orion however, lay wide awake. Remus had figured it out but again, didn't have all the facts. _"S'il vous plaît,__ ne __me détestez pas cette fois-ci (Please, don't hate me this time around),"_ Orion whispered softly into the Moon Dog's hair. The day his life was ruined was fast approaching. Orion feared that day simply for the bad memories it was bringing up. He had hoped memories of Azkaban would have faded by now but he remembered as if it was yesterday. Orion wondered what would happen to him after this Halloween was passed. Would he cease to exist? Would he continue to live his double life? Remus had figured out he was an ex-con. Would the werewolf end up sending him right back to his familiar cell? _"Cher Merlin, ne le laissez__pas me haïssent ce moment (Dear Merlin, don't let him hate me this time)."_ Orion looked towards the door of the bedroom as he heard a motorbike rumble into the garage & then the main door close.

Sirius soon entered the bedroom, casting his Star Cloak aside. He caught his old self's eye. "It's done."

Orion nodded, then lifted a hand & pointed at Remus sleeping on his chest. "He knows." The two stared at each other.

Sirius finally asked. "How much?"

"Enough," Orion said. "I'm you. I'm from Azkaban. He's going to wait for 1994 to ask us anything though."

Sirius sat on the bed & glared at the window. Dawn was just starting to appear. "Good. We won't have to tell James then."

"How's he doing?"

Sirius huffed, folding his arms. "He's planning something. I don't like it. I really don't."

But for the ominous snoring, the trio remained silent in the fading dark. A pink light was starting to glow outside the window. The sparkling shimmer of the Star Cloak was starting to fade for the approaching day. Orion finally said. "Now we wait."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "Now we wait." He lay down beside the pair & did his best to block out the werewolf's snores. Cross-rolling his eyes, Sirius pulled out his wand. "Silencio!" That shut the lunar monstrosity up like nothing else. "Still we wonder why he isn't married off yet. Gees!" He added furiously. Both trying hard not to laugh, the Sirius pair finally settled down for a long needed rest.

For the next week, James & Lily suffered a separation from the rest of their pack that was nearly unbearable. Only the younger Sirius could actually visit but he had gone off into hiding himself, waiting for orders. After that dreadful talk with Dumbledore a week ago, James had pulled Sirius & Orion aside. They studied the Fidelus Charm for a day. James eventually came up with a way to make a Linking Spell as well, by using Occlumency spells. Now, the Fidelus Charm they would use had an added bonus. It linked the Secret Keeper to the one who asked for the shield, in this case James. Either of them simply had to open the link to contact each other. Sirius left his bike with Orion & Remus & disappeared. James himself would open the link when he was ready.

Ready for what, Sirius did not know but greatly feared. Merlin how he wished Halloween was past already.

The day before Halloween, James opened a small box & lifted out a vial. He had moved Liquid Luck from the safe box to his own home before going under the shield. Now, he handed the second vial to Lily. "It's time."

With trembling hands, Lily took it. "But how? We're under the shield."

"We can go any where we want," said James. "It's safer not to. I mean, that's the whole point. But we just need to get the final Hallow. We'll go to the edge of our cover. I'll be Prongs. We apparate directly to Hogwarts & go after Dumbledore." James shifted then & there. He slowly nodded his head, being careful not to hit the walls with his spread out horns.

Lily let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Now that the moment had come, she wondered...can she go through with this? Was there another way? She put a hand on the curly chest of the Stag. "Oh Prongs! I can't wait for November first." The Stag whistled softly under breath. Lily downed the drink. After a moment, she said cheerily, "We'll leave in a couple hours." Confused, the Stag's brow formed a point between his eyes. "It'll all work out. Right now, I'm going to bake a lemon cream cake. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Oh can you get me a bag of Liquorish Cockroaches?"

What the hell? The Stag did the best facepalm he could, standing on three other hooves. Felix's way was never clear. James reappeared & called over their house elf, a male named Ondar. He sent him away to grab a bag of the candies. As there was nothing else he could do but wait for Lily & Ondar, he went upstairs to check on his son. Harry was just waking up & as soon as he saw his father, he glanced around. "Sharp?"

James laughed. "Is that the Moon Dog's new nickname?" He picked the baby up & began swaying back & forth. It had been just over a week by now. The separation was finally starting to sink in on Harry Potter who was used to seeing any & all pack members at least every other day. Now it had just been his parents with him. No Grim dog. No Eagle. No sharp teeth. "In a couple days," James said softly. He wondered if he would be standing here, holding his little son like this in a couple days. He was the only wild card in this entire plan of his own making, oddly enough. Liquid Luck. It hasn't failed him yet.

The scent of the baking cake filled the whole house. Lily suddenly summoned him. "Prongs, we should go now."

James came down the stairs, Harry in one arm. He put the baby in the living room playpen. "Your mother's making me hungry." He flicked the baby's nose. Then he turned to Lily as she entered the living room, cake on a platter in her hands. (It was all James could do to not lick the thing. It looked divine!) "I have something for you," he draped his Cloak over her shoulders so that only her head & her hands held up in front of her was seen. He tied the clasp at her throat. "It's yours now. It will keep you warm & safe."

Lily looked back over each shoulder. She couldn't see them. She was now the Commander of two Hallows. "What about Harry?" Lily suddenly asked. "We can't leave him for long."

"Apparition takes mere seconds," James said. "We're coming right back. Besides, Ondar is back. He can handle the baby."

Ondar handed over a large bag of candies. "Master. Mistress! You should not go out. It's too dangerous!"

James patted the elf's head. "Don't worry. We're going straight to Dumbledore. It's only for a short time. Keep an eye on Harry."

"Yes Master," Ondar bowed, more to hide the worry on his face then anything else. He had been with the Potters for a long time. They were a good family. Knowing someone was out to kill every last Potter on the planet was a hard thing to bare. "Be careful Master. Mistress. Harry needs you."

"We'll be right back," James handed over one cockroach to appease the worried elf. "Don't worry. I'm a Marauder after all. I'll survive."

"Yes Master," Ondar took the candy. He then sat in front of Harry's pen & after eating the candy, he pulled both his ears down, fretting.

"Alright, let's get this over with." Lily headed for the door, a great Stag following closely on her heels. She headed for the edge of the shield & looked around before stepping over. Prongs was by her side in a moment. She put a free hand on his back & with a loud crack they beamed away.

The pair ended up directly in front of the gates of Hogwarts. They could see clusters of students on the grounds, some idling by the lake. Others walking down to Hagrid's Hut. Covering herself completely with the Invisibility Cloak, Lily pulled the bag of candies from the Stag's mouth & balanced her cake in her other hand. She walked ahead to the doors & entered, leaving the Stag by the lake.

Lily wanted to take the cake directly to Dumbledore, but instead wound her way down into the kitchens. She laid the Cloak aside & handed the cake over to one of the Hogwart's House elves, a female named Gabrisi. "It's for Dumbledore," Lily said. "I'm Lily Evans-Potter."

"Ooh we all know who you are," Gabrisi said. "We've heard many things about your family. Your husband & his three friends came down here often when they went to school." Gabrisi suddenly looked cross. "Mostly to steal food."

"Well consider this a return payment," Lily rolled her eyes. She handed over the bag. "That's for Fawkes. I know he loves pecking for bugs."

"Thank you Lady Potter," Gabrisi took the bag with the cake & set both aside. She then glared into Lily's green eyes, down into her very soul. After a long moment, Gabrisi turned back to the cake & bag.

"Is something wrong?" Lily asked.

"No, everything is quite alright," Gabrisi said. "I was merely making sure you were who you say you are." She picked up the cake & disappeared.

Lily sighed & put on the Cloak, completely covered again. She headed upstairs & into the Grand Hall. The students were in the middle of supper. Orange & black streamers drifted across the ceiling while bats fluttered to & fro. Halloween was barely a day away. Lily saw Dumbledore stand up as Gabrisi laid the cake in front of him. He smiled at her & said something, probably thanking her for the cake & she disappeared again.

Lily was so close to him now. She could feel his gaze in her direction. She kept a firm grip on her wand. Dumbledore sat down again & began chatting with Professors on either side of him. Lily leaned up against the wall behind the Teacher's Tables & waited. Dumbledore had half the cake & shared a few pieces with the others.

Lily waited, letting it take affect. The supper was nearly over & hall began empting. Dumbledore stood up. Lily snapped to attention. "Well goodnight everyone. I think it's time I tucked Fawkes in & went to bed myself." He strode through the side door as the other Professors bid goodnight when he passed. Lily followed. Finally, she was alone with him.

Lily stayed under the Cloak as they headed to the spiralling staircase. Dumbledore took his time. In fact, he seemed to slow down as he went, looking rather sleepy. He had better feel full & sleepy. After all, that cake was packed full of a Sleeping Draught. Several of the Professors would sleep well tonight for sure. Lily rolled her eyes. She didn't mean to take the lot of them out. Oh well. Dumbledore yawned widely. He muttered the password & stepped on. Lily waited for the last possible moment then slipped onto the spiralling staircase as well.

They entered the office. Fawkes whirled around, his talons skittering on the desk. "Fawkes! No!" Dumbledore glared. Too late. Liquorish cockroaches spilled over & began hopping & crawling around on the floor. Fawkes alternated between pecking some up & glancing at Dumbledore coming after him. Dumbledore pulled out his wand.

There was the trick. No need for an open duel. Perfect! "Accio Fawkes!" Dumbledore began but hardly had he finished when a spell hit him from the side.

"Expelliramus!" Lily held her hand outside the cloak. Dumbledore's wand flew out of his hand, arced across the room & landed in hers. She retracted her hand inside the cloak just as Dumbledore whirled around. Unfortunately, he moved too fast & being unusually very tired, he stumbled over the chair but managed to stay on his feet. Then horror of horrors, Dumbledore looked straight at her. He must have known she was there. He must have seen her. Did the Cloak slip?

Fawkes crashed into his back & flapped wildly, casting fiery feathers every which way. He squawked in a panic while getting his bearings. The Phoenix soon figured out that Dumbledore was in fact NOT his roost & that the perch was actually in the opposite direction. Still casting off sparks, he flapped wildly to it & landed. He looked up at Dumbledore & actually somehow managed the most 'I'm so innocent' nervous grin. Dumbledore glared at him & then looked back at the door that was just closing.

Lily was gone.

With his wand.

It was a rare moment, but Dumbledore was actually thoroughly confused. There were always threats of spies on both sides. Light sorcerers going Dark & vice versa. Dumbledore himself had his own spy, none other than Severus Snape, who would sometimes see a supposed Auror working for Voldemort. But in all the Allies turned Traitors, the name James Potter never showed up. Anyone knew that Snape would jump at the first chance to destroy James Potter. Something didn't make sense.

Dumbledore crossed his arms, thinking. "Not a Marauder! Please Merlin have mercy! If one of them goes Dark, heaven help us all." He sighed. He had bigger problems to handle. He was extremely tired & wandless. He looked at Fawkes who had finally recovered. "We'll discuss your behaviour later. Right now, I need my wand. Please retrieve it." Fawkes glared indignantly at him. "Oh don't give me a ruddy owl's look you pyrotechnic! Get my wand back, you can consider yourself redeemed." Dumbledore stepped forward.

Crunch!

Dumbledore glanced down. The Liquorish Cockroaches were still hopping about. He glared at Fawkes again & shook his head. Fawkes took that as cue to burst into flame. "Now really, Fawkes," Dumbledore shoved the ashes away. "There's no need for that. Fetch that wand!" The chick chirped & came out of the ashes. Shaking them off, he quickly developed into a young Phoenix, about half the size he usually was. He spread his new young wings & took flight.


	12. Chapter 12

**(12) Hallowed Reunion**

"I can't believe I did that," Lily paced up & down in the living room. James, Ondar & Harry looked on. "I can NOT believe I just did that!"

"Calm down," James tried.

Lily glared at him. "Calm down? CALM DO—I just disarmed Dumbledore & now have a Phoenix after me! Calm down! James? I ought to personally hand-feed you to the blasted Dark Lord Voldemort!" She went back to pacing.

"Mistress!" Ondar gasped.

"Sharp!" Harry cried.

James glared at his son. "Yes, Harold! Thank you! Your mother is being quite sharp with me at the moment."

"Dumbledore knows it's me," Lily went on.

"You took the Cloak off?" James exclaimed.

"No, I mean, I don't know. I'm sure he saw me!" Lily fretted. "Oh he'll wonder what's wrong with me!"

"Dumloor sharp?" Harry would have a long way to go to get that long name right.

"Harold!" James glared again. His son was so not helping him. "I think I can dispense with the running commentary for now, ok?"

Harry then pointed at his father. "Sharp?"

James went crossed-eyed. "Curse that moon mutt for teaching you that word!"

"Prongs!" Lily stared at him.

James shrugged. "Look, now that all three Hallows are yours, we're all going to be on edge until after tomorrow."

There was an explosion of fire in the air & Fawkes appeared, calling out a Song that sounded like wind in the reeds before he landed gracefully onto the floor.

"How'd he get in here?" James glared at the Firebird. "We have our shield up."

"Phoenixes don't exactly exist on our plane," Lily said. "They can go anywhere at any time." James stared at her. "What? I read it in a book once."

James scratched his head. He knew what that Phoenix was after. He discreetly nodded to Lily who made sure both her wands were well hidden under her robes. "We've got to get rid of him!"

"How? You can't exactly kill a Phoenix you know."

James glanced at Ondar who suddenly grinned nervously. He stepped up to the feathery bonfire standing in the center of his living room. Fawkes was actually hissing. His wings crackled with flames. "Fawkes, can I ask you something?" Fawkes struck out with his head, trying to peck. James knelt down. "I know you're here for your Master's wand. Can you wait one day? Just one! Lily will freely give it back on November first." Fawkes opened his beak & screamed. It was worse than an Eagle's call. James slowly removed his hands from his ears. "Please Fawkes. You don't understand. You can't. Take Ondar to Orion Black's home & keep him there until November the first. Then bring him back here & we'll give you that wand back. Please?" Fawkes chirped. Who did this Marauder think he is anyway? "Did Dumbledore tell you to return with the wand? Yes? Did he say exactly when? See? It's only one day." Phoenix & Stag Marauder stared each other down. "You can sense when one is loyal to Dumbledore, can you not?" James went on. He spread his hands. "Is there any Darkness in me worth betrayal?" Fawkes blinked, thinking hard. "Wait one day. This war will be over. It will end tomorrow but I must use that wand. Please?" Fawkes glared at the poor terrified house elf as if he was something to eat. "Yes. Yes! Take him to Orion Black. One day. That's all I ask. You'll save all our lives, including Dumbledore's."

Fawkes puffed up his chest & ruffled his feathers. Sparks flew in all directions. "Master?" Ondar asked timidly.

"Go to Orion for Halloween," James said as he stood. "Keep that," He pointed. "flaming pigeon occupied until November first." He ignored the insulted look from said 'pigeon' who puffed up indignantly, shaking off more sparks.

"Yes Master," Ondar gave up. He put a hand on the bird & the next moment, James, Lily & Harry were alone.

Harry was put down for the night. James & Lily lay awake in bed. When morning dawned, they slowly made their way downstairs, not having slept at all. Neither of them felt like breakfast. It was only Harry who had anything. They passed most of the day in silence.

As evening set in, James took Lily's hand into his own. "Now I call Sirius. You ready?" Lily nodded mutely. He turned away & went to one knee. He lifted his wand straight up over his head. Royal blue sparks shot out of its tip. James stayed like that for a minute.

Sirius suddenly appeared before them. "Hi Harry!" He patted the baby's head.

"Padfoot."

"What is it Prongs?"

"Release us."

"Prongs!"

"Release us. Now," James stood firm. "Then go to America's home. Oh & avoid Fawkes. He's in a mood."

"Fawkes?" Sirius looked slightly confused.

"Ask Ondar," James said. "I've sent him over there as well. Out of the way."

"Prongs please think about what you're doing," Sirius tried again.

"What do you think I've been doing since Seventh Year when I opened those letters?" James declared. "Trust me. We'll be fine. Now release us & go!"

"At least let me take Harry with me."

"He'll be fine," James said. "He's the key to this whole thing. Voldemort dies tonight. Please Padfoot!" Sirius sighed. Hoping against hope James knew exactly what he was doing, he went outside, released the shield & apparated to Orion's.

Lily felt a cold shudder. She rubbed her arms. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. "James! How is Harry going to be safe?"

"You," James merely pointed at her before disappearing into the kitchen. He took out the little box from the fridge & pulled out the final vial. It was time. "Please Merlin. Watch over us all." He drank it down. Then he took out another potion, one he had secretly bought while under the influence of Felix the first time around.

"What do you mean, me?" Lily pressed.

James kept his back to her. "You once vowed you would die for me. Would you do the same for our son?"

"Of course," Lily said.

"As would I," James sighed, staring out the kitchen window.

"James, I'm the Commander of all three Hallows," Lily tried again. "I AM Death's Mistress, am I not?"

"You are," James said, turning around. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. You know what to do."

"I have to keep the Dark Lord from Harry at all...at all cos...James!"

"I asked you to trust me once, remember?" James said. "My Gryffindor lioness needs to be brave tonight. Don't worry. You will be very much alive in November. So will Harry."

"So will you," Lily didn't like how James omitted himself.

"That's right," James nodded.

There was no time for further discussion. A thud was heard out in the yard. "James! How did they find us?"

"Anonymous note," James shrugged. "He's here, Lily. Take Harry & go. Trust me!" He grabbed her hand & pulled her close for a kiss. "Go!"

Lily threw the Cloak over her shoulders, hiding her whole body but her head. She scooped up Harry in one arm & held the Elder Wand in her free hand. The Stone pendant hung from her neck. Lily fled upstairs as the main door burst open.

James turned to glare down the hall. "Alright Felix! Here goes nothing!" He transformed. Rack down, he bounded quite literally into the first Death Eater that entered, pinning the man to the wall. A moment later, Prongs was surrounded by ash. A vampire. Prongs reared up on his hind feet & driving both front hooves down, he collapsed the skull of the second Death Eater. A third figure moved in. The Dark Lord himself.

"Aveda Kedavra!"

Prongs went down hard on his belly, transforming into James as he rolled over, a large green glow on his chest.

Lily was already upstairs, holding Harry in her arms. She heard the death curse. Was Prongs dead? What the hell was James planning? The door burst opened. Lily all but dropped Harry into his crib & whirled around. "Not Harry. Please not Harry!"

"Stand aside you silly girl!"

"Please! Please not Harry! Have mercy!

"Stand aside!"

"No! Harry!"

"Aveda Kedavra!"

Lily threw herself in front of that curse & went down hard. Next moment, she was in a place of pure white. "Harry? Harry! Harry where are you? James!" Lily tried to run but felt like she was going nowhere. The white was all around. "Prongs!" James hadn't mentioned this. He never really said what the Hallows would do except ensure that she wouldn't die. She was Death's Mistress. What was she doing here in the white light? Where was the Stag? Harry Potter?

Lily ran forward for several minutes, but nothing changed. She stopped & looked around. Even though she had nothing in her hands at the moment, she had to try something. "Accio Prongs!" She waited several minutes but no Stag came streaking across the white light to her. Probably a good thing. He was huge & most likely would have bowled her right over. "Accio Harry!" Good. Something much smaller. Easier to catch. Again she waited. But no baby came to her either. Where was she?

Lily went to her knees. Trust James. She wondered if she could ever trust that man again! He had ruined everything. She started crying. She was dead. The Hallows were a myth. Was James working for the Dark Lord? Hard as it was to believe, it was the only possible explanation left to her. If he wasn't already dead, Lily would have killed him herself for spinning his wild story of Time-travelling & Hallows.

So why did Sirius & Orion tell the same story? Don't tell Remus. Oh great. NOW she thinks of that little detail. Sweet Merlin! Had they all been Death Eaters, except Remus? Lily sat down on whatever she was in that the whiteness formed. She put her head to her knees & cried harder.

Suddenly, somewhere from far away, she could hear screaming. Someone was here with her. She stood up. She had to find whoever that was.


	13. Chapter 13

**(13) The Plan Of The Stag**

"No! No no no! Lily!" Snape knelt down beside her & held her lifeless body in his arms. While working undercover for Dumbledore, he had heard that the Dark Lord suddenly knew where the Potters were. The shield had been put down. He had hurried to Godric's Hollow, knowing he was already too late. Running into the house, he had seen James lying dead. Snape bounded up the stairs & into the bedroom. Harry was sitting in his crib, looking scared. On the floor was most of Lily. It took a second to sink in, then he realised it was an Invisibility Cloak. Either way, his flower was dead. He held her close to his chest, weeping, screaming her name. He held her as if it meant his life. Knowing it was useless, he whispered, "Legilimens." Snape found himself in a white world. "Lily?"

"Who are you?" Lily called out, her voice faint. She heard someone scream again. A man's voice. Calling her name. Lily reached out.

"LILY!" Snape saw a delicate hand & reached out to grab it. He had to pull her back.

There was a thud of a door being thrown off its hinges & someone screamed "JAMES!" downstairs.

Snape was shaken out of his spell. He looked at Lily lying in his arms one last time. Still dead. He lay her down & fled out the window & over the roof. Hitting the ground, Snape ran into the bushes before apparating away to Hogwarts.

"PRONGS! NO!" Sirius went to his knees beside the fallen Stag. He had been waiting anxiously since lowering the shield, knowing something bad was about to happen. Unable to keep still, Sirius had suddenly jumped on his bike & sped over, wishing he had never left. He ended up almost first on the scene, barely missing Snape's apparition a moment before. Why did James tell him to do it? "Oh Merlin! No no no! I knew this would happen! Why did I listen to you? James!" He held his friend & distant cousin close, kissing his cheek, his lips, his nose. "Oh God!" Sirius rocked back & forth with grief. He suddenly heard a baby's cry. "Harry? HAROLD ARE YOU OK?" Sirius gently laid James on the floor, then dashed into the bedroom. "Har—OH MY GOD NO! LILY!" Sirius stood silently for a moment. He knelt down beside Lily, petting back her hair. "...Not you..." He saw the black pendant around her neck. Its chain was twisted up over her chin. Caressing her hair with one hand, he worked the chain with the other. "My dear friend," Sirius sniffled, finally breaking the chain off. He knelt there, staring dumbly ahead at nothing, then looked up at the ceiling. "What have I done?" He covered his face with both hands & bowed down, sobbing. He suddenly jumped to his feet & with a loud scream, he hurled the necklace into the farthest wall. Harry whimpered. "I'm so sorry, little one. I didn't mean to scare you." He picked the baby up & held him close. "You're safe. Thank Merlin, you're safe!"

"Sirius?" Hagrid called out. "What the devil's goin' on 'ere? Where's the baby?"

"I got him! He's ok!" Sirius called out.

"Snape came t' Hogwarts," Hagrid cried. "He said summin about Jim & Lily being dead. But 'Arry was fine. Dumbledore told me, come ge' 'Arry."

"Yeah, h-he's ok," Sirius said in a trembling voice. His whole body was shaking. "He's just-just a bit scared."

"I canna believe it!" Hagrid went on. "They're dead! DEAD! How?"

"Jim planned something," Sirius gasped in a breath. "It didn't work! Oh God! What am I going to do?"

"Dumbledore wants 'Arry," Hagrid tried again. "We sort this mess out!"

"Yeah," Sirius sighed. "Yeah. It's best to get Harry away from this. He's safe with Dumbledore. I'll deal with James & Lily." He handed over Harry. "Take my motorbike. I won't need it any more." He handed over the keys.

"Are ye sure?" Hagrid wondered what that meant. Sirius loved that bike!

"Yeah...yeah!" Sirius nodded. He had been the Secret Keeper. The Potters were dead. He didn't know if James had told any one that he had ordered the shield released. At the moment, it looked like Sirius was a traitor. He had to run for it & figure things out. "Go! I'll be fine." Would he?

"I'll take care o' him," Hagrid indicated Harry in his arms as he turned & left.

Sirius knelt beside Lily one last time. He reached out & touched her face. "Goodbye my precious friend." He got up & ran downstairs. He had to leave. Sirius skidded to a stop as he reached James.

"Last!" James coughed, standing up brushing his shoulders off. He coughed again. "Last time I'm using that ruddy potion. Can someone say EW?" James hacked & coughed. Sirius stared. The bloody hell was going on now? "UGH! Seriously! I'd rather have died! Oh hi Paddy-kins." He put his glasses on as if nothing happened.

"What?" Sirius glared. "Paddy-kins?"

"Oh shut up!" James scoffed. "I've called you that many times before."

"How can you stand there & joke?" Sirius demanded, rubbing fresh tears from his eyes. "Lily's lying dead upstairs & all you can do is be mean to me?"

"Is she?" James spoke casually as if all was well. "Huh, I never did find out exactly when the Hallows spell wears off."

"Hall—Hallows spell?" Sirius glared. "James! Your wife! The love of your life! Is dead!"

"I know that," James shrugged.

"Wha...?" Sirius was confused. Seven years at school listening to James bemoaning his love for Lily. He didn't care? "Damn you! She's dead!"

"I'd look around if I were you," James pointed past Sirius.

Sirius whirled around. Lily was standing behind him. "What?"

"Didn't I tell you all that everything will be ok?" James winked.

Lily shook her head. "Harry's gone! He's not in his crib."

"Hagrid has him," Sirius said. "Taking him to Dumbledore."

"Oh," Lily sagged against the wall. It was a good thing to because at that moment the predicted migraine struck. Hard.

James, Lily & Sirius writhed on the floor holding their foreheads. It was worse then before. Mercifully, they soon past out from the pressure.

James moaned softly, opening his eyes. Remus was lying in a bed next to him, on his right. Past Remus was another bed. Sirius. James slowly turned his head the other way. Lily was lying on his left. He sighed & pushed himself up, muttering crossly, "I knew that was gonna happen."

Remus growled. "You didn't happen to know exactly when?"

"Just around Halloween," James shrugged. "That's all."

Remus pressed one hand to his forehead. "Sweet Merlin have mercy! That was worse then the one in Seventh Year. Prongs. Do you know if we'll have any more?"

James thought a moment. "Hmm, there might be one more but not for a while."

"Let me guess," Remus actually hissed.

"Don't hiss," James cut in. "Have we taught you nothing in proper werewolf etiquette?"

"Oh you deserve to be hissed at today," Remus kept his fangs bared. "Next migraine won't strike until sometime in 1994. Am I right?" James stared at the werewolf. "I'm right, aren't I?" Remus clicked his fangs together irritably. "Thought so."

"Who told you?"

"Oh please," Remus barked under breath, turning away.

"Moony!" James demanded. All he got was Remus raising one hand, making a very rude sign. "Whatever."

It took the better part of two hours for everyone to slowly come to & get out of bed. James got dressed & went to stretch out on a chaise longue in the waiting room nearby. They were in St. Mungo's Hospital. Who told Remus? It wasn't time yet! He sighed heavily, sitting back. He laid his arms open along the top of the couch & looked up at the ceiling. He heard raised voices & turned his eyes to the door dead ahead of him.

"I want to speak to James alone," Lily was saying. "Before I do anything else. Dumbledore can wait two minutes." At that, the door burst open & Lily stormed in. She stopped short, glaring. She kicked the door behind her closed & advanced on her husband, still reclined in his seat, feet up on the low coffee table before him. She stopped on the other side of the table & glared at him.

James winked. Lily's left eye twitched. She was mad at him. He wasn't allowed to be flirtatious! "See anything you like?" James smirked.

Lily narrowed her eyes while crossing her arms. Oh yes! She saw quite a bit of what she liked. James, lolling there like the idiot he could be. He was wearing dark brown, nearly black leather pants & black boots that went almost up to his knees. His pure white shirt, sparkling with discreetly placed sequins was wide open from top to black belt. His wand rested in a gold sheath at his left hip, like a small sword. Handsome idiot! She reminded herself that she was mad—infuriated!—with him. "James!" She breathed.

"I told you I'd work on getting you pregnant again after Halloween," James said casually. "It's after Halloween. Figured I ought to make myself presentable to the lovely Lady of my house. You like?" He winked again, still lying arms spread out, feet on table. He crossed his ankles.

Lily shook her head, trying to focus. "James! You didn't tell me I'd actually DIE even though I had the Hallows!"

"Duh! Deathly Hallows," James scoffed. "Death's Mistress. Gees, you'd think it was obvious. They bounce you through Death, I guess you could say."

"You guess?"

"Something like that," James went on. "But through Death they do take you. You bounce right back. In limbo. Another way of saying it."

Lily clenched & unclenched her fists by her sides for several moments. Why was he so goddamned sexy? Lying there. Smirking. Glasses dangling out of the corner of his mouth from one earpiece. Shirt open. Try as she might, she couldn't miss the rather large bulge below the belt. Bloody Stag's in heat. Lily tried not to roll her eyes. Fuck him anyway! Wait! No, no, not like that! Lily finally rolled her eyes. "What about Harry? How did he survive?"

With one hand, James pulled his glasses from his mouth & played with them using his fingers only. "Because of your sacrifice," He said as if it was the most obvious convenient thing in the whole wide universe.

"My sacrifice?"

"Lily, I couldn't tell you exactly what was going on before hand for one simple reason," James sounded like he was finally going to explain himself. "Your sacrifice had to be genuine."

"You knew I would die?"

"I knew we would both die," James said. "I just found a way of counter-acting it before it happens."

"I heard Voldemort scream Aveda Kedavra," Lily huffed. "NO ONE survives that curse. There's no cure."

"Exactly, no cure," James said. "But using a bit of luck from Felix & a random joke potion to make everything look green; combined with a simple poison from a toad to cause rigor mortis for a time—please even muggles know that one—then purposely tripping at the last possible, erm lucky, second to duck under that incurable curse...well, as you can see," He laughed. "Works like a charm."

"JAMES POTTER!" Lily gritted her teeth.

James laughed at her again. "As for you, I honestly didn't know & still don't know when their spell wears off & you pop back to life. I knew you'd go into limbo but that was about it." He wiggled his hips into the seat a little, keeping that bulge of his 'firmly' in place.

Lily ignored his wooing as best she could. "I still don't understand Harry."

James pouted. He was 'horny' & didn't feel like talking. "When we started all this, I asked you if you were willing to die for me. For Harry. But that was it. If I had explained any more, you'd have done everything by rote alone. Harry would be dead. But if your sacrifice was genuine, you would create an ancient magical shield around Harry that kept him safe. Making you unwittingly vow to die for either of us got that little spell going."

"How did you even know about something like that?"

"While under Liquid Luck's double dose, I went to Diagon Alley. That's where I got that other potion & the toad's poison. I also ran into Dumbledore. I casually asked him if there was anything to protect someone you love even if it means your own death," said James. "That's why yours had to be a genuine intention."

"But I'm not dead," Lily said. "Wouldn't that cancel the effect?"

"No," James shook his head. "The point of it was that you did die. No offence, but for lack of a better way of putting this, for the sake of clarity, so what if you came back after? Your shield had already been cast."

"That—that was your plan the whole time?" Lily demanded. "Since when was it, Seventh Year?" James nodded. Lily huffed & shook her head. "You're mental."

"Not as bad as old Moony," James smirked.

"Hey he has a good excuse," Lily defended. "Being a child of the moon & all. You don't."

"Yes I do," James argued. "I love my family. My pack. I'd do anything to keep them all safe."

Lily glared at him for a long time, then made her way around the table. She grabbed his collar & hauled him up. "Come with me."

"That's all I wanted in the first place my love," James snickered at the double meaning. Lily rolled her eyes, tossed him into the nearest closet & went in after him. After putting up a quick muffling spell at the door, she voraciously had her way with him. Both exited the closet several minutes later, breathless but looking quite smug.

_(OK: Yes I know Hagrid was first in the books, but here, Sirius didn't have to check on Peter's position first so I thought he would end up at the house before Hagrid. Barely._

_No I don't ship Sirius/James. It was a familiar kiss on the lips not a sexual one. Plus, this IS Sirius. He'll kiss anything. Mmmkay so glad that's cleared up, eh._

_I ripped off several things here so quick disclaimers. I don't own the scene in "Return To Snowy River" when Jim (HA! Another Jim) Craig & his horse fell down the cliff. Lines stolen/tweaked for Sirius when he thought everyone was dead. Yes I shamelessly swapped the horse's bridle out for Lily's pendant. No I don't care!_

_I don't own Black Beauty/Ginger (Hey Thewlis is in that movie as well. I often take themes from the actors' movies for crap like this. Shoot me!) & I don't own Richard Cypher-Rahl's outfit from 'Legend Of The Seeker' either...KIND OF what James was wearing in the waiting room. The shirt's actually mine though. Literally. Mine's really black with a few white sequins but since James already had black, I made it a neutral color._

_Hey. At least it wasn't the bloody Titanic again, eh? LOL.)_


	14. Chapter 14

**(14) The Ire Of The Fire**

The moment the two lovebirds stepped into the room where the other Marauders lay resting, there was a burst of flame in the air. Phoenix Song filled their ears, this time sounding like panpipes in the distance. Fawkes descended gracefully to the floor. From his beak dropped a rolled up scroll.

Being the closest & the Alpha, Remus got out of bed to pick it up. Fawkes pecked him viciously. "OUCH!" Remus recoiled. Fawkes turned his back to the Moon Dog, batting the scroll with his tail to send it rolling to the werewolf's feet. Remus huffed & picked it up at last.

_The Headmaster of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry extends his compliments to the Marauders & thanks them for bringing an end to this war. The youngest Marauder is currently sleeping in my office._

_Now ..._

_Would the five of you kindly come over for tea to explain yourselves? Whatever the Potters did caused a migraine that affected the entire Wizarding World! Also, would the Lady of the Marauders kindly please return my wand & explain herself? I would be very much obliged._

_Enclosed you will find your release papers from St. Mungo's Hospital._

_~Signed: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_PS: Fawkes is in a very bad mood. Be careful._

Remus looked up, glaring a vivid amber at James. "The ENTIRE...Wizarding World?"

"Ok, I'm not to sure how that has to do with us," James said.

"Prongs!" Remus gritted his pointed teeth.

"I don't!" James held up his hands defensively. "I honestly don't."

Remus shook his head, then whirled on Sirius & Orion who had come to stand behind him. He held out his free hand, palm up. After a moment, he snapped, "Well?"

"Well what?" The Sirius pair asked.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You heard the scroll. Lily has the wand. 100 Galleons please." Remus blinked. The Sirius pair blinked. "Each!"

"I hate you." Sirius & Orion began digging around in their wallets to pay up. "You suck Remus! You really suck!"

"Wouldn't either of you like to know?" Remus teased, suddenly sly. The Sirius pair gaped at him. Fawkes strutted in between them & began pecking. They hopped on the spot, bemoaning their pain & frustrations. Orion finally kicked 'Pyro-Pigeon' square in the chest, making Fawkes burst into flame. He snatched up the chick & threw it hard onto the nearest bed. It promptly bounced beak over pinion feathers right off the far edge too land with a pitiful—SQUAWK!—onto the floor out of sight.

"You bet on me?" Lily asked.

Remus looked back over his shoulder at her & actually winked. "Please, you think I'm stupid enough to go against the one & only bitch in my pack?" If it had been anyone else using that word, they would have been in pain but the Wolf at least, was instinctively using its natural meaning.

"Well, before we go," James began after Lily stopped laughing. "We better come up with what we actually want to tell him."

Once the pack had organised their plan, they found themselves in Hogwarts at the foot of the spiralling staircase, feeling as if they were going up for detention or possibly expulsion even though they had finished school a few years ago. Remus whined, licking his chops & finally stepped forward after Professor McGonagall spoke the password. He led his pack upwards. The Marauders paused just inside the office, their eyes landing on Fawkes. He must have imploded into the room before they arrived. He was already half-grown.

"Come in, come in," Dumbledore said cheerily. "Do sit down."

"Why is he already so big?" Orion pointed at Fawkes.

"His true burning day isn't for several years," Dumbledore explained. "He is merely bursting into flame due to stress. When that happens he grows much faster."

"He's ugly as hell as a chick," Orion sat down first, the other four taking up chairs nearby.

"Ah yes," Dumbledore laughed. "But he's a handsome fellow when he's older." He put out some tea, biscuits & chocolates before sitting down behind his desk. Then he went serious. "First, my wand if you please?"

Lily handed over her original wand & held the Elder Wand in hand, lowered to her side so as not to initiate an actual challenge. After casting the disarming spell, the Elder Wand sailed back into Dumbledore's hands. He passed Lily's first wand back to her.

"Good good," Dumbledore sighed. Fawkes chirped, happy that the wand was back. "Now, why did you take it?"

"A bet really," Remus began. He pointed at the Sirius pair. "They lost. I knew Lily could win it over."

"Surely there is more to it then that?" Dumbledore encouraged, noticing the sudden nervous ticks in more than one Marauder. Lily looked anywhere but at Dumbledore.

Remus shook his head & half shrugged. "Just a bet."

Dumbledore decided to move on. For now. "I remember when, uh you four," He pointed at the others, excluding Orion, "were here during your Seventh Year. All of you suffered a mental shift."

"Yeah," James nodded. Hang on. He didn't say migraine. "What?"

"Didn't Snivelus feel it to?" Orion offered.

Dumbledore glared at the name-calling but said nothing. He half smiled. Once again, Orion had betrayed himself. "Yes, he did. Indirectly."

"Then why isn't he up here with us?" Orion went on.

"Because we all know why he suffered," Dumbledore said. "His telepathic link to Lily was the only reason he felt the mental shift. There is no need to interrogate him further. However," he gazed over his half-moon spectacles at him. "The rest of you are somehow linked to these shifts. I would not be surprised if Orion told us now that he felt one during your Seventh Year."

"Yeah," Orion shrugged. "So what?"

Dumbledore looked at him before going on. "Now why do you think that the mental shift of last Halloween affected everyone?"

"We didn't know that until Fawkes gave us your scroll," Remus said.

Sirius leaned forward. "Why do you keep calling the migraines mental shifts?"

"Because that is exactly what they are," Dumbledore said. "When you lot passed out during your finals here, I naturally had each & every one of you examined, even Severus & Remus."

"Wait a minute," Remus cut in. "That night was a Full Moon. That's Wormtail's Moon. How could you have examined me?"

"We made sure you stayed down," Dumbledore said. "You don't remember transforming into your Wolf that night, do you?"

"Only the dawn's transformation," Remus admitted. "I remember hitting the ground the day before with a severe headache & the next thing I know it's the middle of the night & I'm in my old den here."

"Precisely," Dumbledore nodded. "We had you drugged most of the night to examine you. Once finished, you were placed in your lair & left to sleep it off." As the pack remained quiet, Dumbledore went on. "I must say I was dismayed, even a bit worried, at the results of your examinations. A mental shift. An odd sort of magic."

"So you know who did this to us?" James asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore looked back at Orion. "Awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time ... ... ...Sirius." Orion suddenly found the floor very interesting.

"Ha!" Remus scoffed. "I knew it." He settled back, feeling like he would get his answers a little earlier than planned.

James felt his throat go dry. This was NOT the way this conversation was supposed to go. At all! "He's a Black," James tried to deflect the focus away from Orion's first name. "nothing more. But what about everyone else? Who all felt this...this mental shift?"

"Mister Potter," Dumbledore called out disapprovingly. He was not to be sidetracked. "You all were out for nearly three days this time."

"What?" The Marauders looked up as one, then glanced at each other.

"That includes Harry Potter," Dumbledore went on, waving a hand towards the crib at the side of his desk. "He cried so much & then past out. I knew the shift was affecting him but I myself was on the floor in my own hell. I could not help him any more than I could help myself. Fortunately, everyone else affected was only down for several minutes. That's what tipped me & a few others off that you Marauders are the primary cause." Lily was looking whiter by the moment. Dumbledore again focused his attention on her. "Again, I ask you, why did you capture my wand? Oh yes! I know you actually captured it, turning its allegiance fully to you. That's why I waited to actually confront you about it so I could properly win it back. Not always but usually, when one duels my wand, they lose, but since you were willing to give it up, I merely requested its allegiance back to my hand. But there must be a reason you took it, surely? No?"

Lily cast around, looking at James for help. This was so not the conversation they had all rehearsed! "James?" she whispered, but he only shook his head.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Dumbledore gave up. "Do not be fooled into thinking I don't know my own wand. It is in fact the Elder Wand." He waited for the shocked gasps from James & Lily to sink in as the other Marauders stared at the Potters inquisitively. "Do not be fooled that I wouldn't recognise Death's own Cloak when it has been in service in my own school for seven years straight." He glared at James, who suddenly found Remus's fangs very interesting. Remus was sitting stock still, baring his teeth at his pack-mate. He knew James had been involved in whatever mess his entire pack was in. He just knew it! The silence was broken by Fawkes chirping & the crackle of real fire in the hearth. "The only one I knew about but never laid eyes on is the Stone. I assume you, Mister Potter, were the one to have found it?"

Still staring at the werewolf's perfect sharp teeth, James nodded mutely. Dumbledore sat back, spreading out his hands. Fawkes came to perch on his arm, sending a hiss at the pack. He puffed up pompously. His Master was right. His Master was ALWAYS right. Marauders! They had to learn the hard way, didn't they?

"I found it in Harry's nursery when we took you & Lily to the hospital. The Stone is now in the Snitch here for the time being." After a moment, Dumbledore went on. "Now before we continue, I must say, I am pleased the war is ended & that you all are safe & sound, but the first time around, someone died. Didn't they?"

"Lily & I," James admitted. "But not Peter. This time, Peter died but not us. How come no one besides us felt the mental shift when Peter died?"

Dumbledore sighed, looking at James & Lily. "The two of you living this time around, you both being Aurors, you have affected & will continue to affect many lives around you, being known by many people. Being Marauders & pack-mates, constantly looking for attention, only amplifies that fact."

"That's why," Sirius said. "Peter, being a Marauder, a pack-mate, a ...soldier...was cut out & therefore affected no one. James & Lily did not get cut out of the picture & will go on to live with others."

Dumbledore smiled. "Mental shifts happen to people tampering with time or who are closely involved with people who do. All of you are caught up in changing events."

"So why did everyone feel it this Halloween?" James asked.

"I don't know," Dumbledore admitted. Then looked at Orion. "But you do."

"What? No I don't."

"You are the link to the other side of the time loop," Dumbledore explained. "What happened on your Halloween?"

"Peter betrayed Jim & Lily, blew up a street, killed a lot of muggles," Orion said.

"Did Harry survive?"

"Yes," Orion nodded. "He became the most famous wizard. He survived direct contact with the Death Curse coming out with nothing but a scar. Everyone heard about that night & what happened with the Potters & their baby."

"That's why everyone felt the mental shift," Dumbledore said. "The Potters are famous for that night. Even in this timeline. Even more so here since they ALL survived. There is one thing left unsaid then." Again, he looked at Orion. "While you were out, I had another examination done an all of you. Something interesting appeared in your results, Orion."

"What?" Orion dared to ask.

"Your body is much older than you should be," Dumbledore began. "unlike the others, you are in a constant shift. It doesn't hurt you since you are the one who tampered with Time. But that's to be expected. What wasn't expected is a certain mark you bear. Please come here a moment."

Orion stared at him but stood up & slowly made his way over. "What?"

Dumbledore glanced to the rest of the pack. "One moment please." He put up a shield & the pack no longer heard their voices. He turned Orion & himself away so the others couldn't even read their lips. "There is also a curious tattoo found on your right shoulder. I feel it is inappropriate to include your friends in this conversation at the moment but it seems...Sirius...that you are from Azkaban. As I can hardly fathom that you of all people are some sort of criminal, I have asked to have your, shall I say second? Arrest stayed."

Orion nearly fell to his knees. "Sir!"

"Relax, relax," Dumbledore held him up. "Seeing as how the prison has no escapees to speak of, they are just as confused as you & I are. I am sure that this is nothing more than a mere mix-up. Tell me ...Sirius. I can help you."

"It's a Marauder's prank gone horribly wrong," Orion said. "Honestly, it is."

"Then why did you nearly faint with fear just now?" Dumbledore wasn't convinced.

"I mean it," Orion insisted. "The worst prank we ever did!" He looked up into Dumbledore's eyes. Suddenly, he blurted out the whole story. By the time Orion was finished, Dumbledore was in his chair, face in one hand & Remus was up & pacing back & forth, hating the separation. His pack-mate was obviously in trouble somehow but he had no way of reaching & protecting him. The Alpha inside screamed to get out.

After a long moment, Orion asked, "Are you going to send me back to Azkaban?"

Dumbledore looked up at him as if he were crazy. "How could I? I've already checked with Azkaban. You don't exist."

"That's a relief," Orion smiled.

"But you admitting to committing at least one of those murders..." Dumbledore sighed before going on. "Do any of them," He nodded to the pack beyond the barrier. "know who killed Peter?"

"Yeah," Orion said. "All except Remus; though, we plan to tell him everything in 1994."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers, thinking. The Wolf began to pace faster than before. He hissed softly at the barrier, wanting to get through. "When the timelines merge." Orion nodded. Dumbledore remained silent for a while. "Very well. We'll wait for then." At Orion's horrified look, Dumbledore added hastily. "I doubt you'll be sent back to Azkaban. But your Alpha on the other hand, might want to deal with you."

"I'm more afraid of that then those Dementors," Orion admitted. "I hope he doesn't hate me as much as the first time around."

"Let's hope not," Dumbledore lowered the shield.

Orion attempted to go back to his seat but Remus was on him, wrapping his arms around Orion's waist & sniffing his hair & neck. "Are you alright?"

"Never better," Orion pulled Remus along until he got to his chair. He sat down. Remus knelt on the floor beside him.

"There is one more point of interest before you all head home," Dumbledore turned to Harry who was just waking up. He picked the boy up & fussed over him for a moment. "Ah delightful little lad. He'll be a fine addition to Hogwarts when the time comes." He turned & handed the baby to his mother, then turned away & ruffled Fawkes's feathers. "You all should return home now. With this war over, it's time to start rebuilding."

Lily followed the pack downstairs. As she stepped off at the bottom, she paused to tuck the blanket more firmly around Harry. "James! Look!" She held the baby out to him. James looked down at his son.

A perfect lightening-bolt scar cut into his forehead.

_(By the way, I LOVE Fawkes. I'm just having a little bit of fun here. Re-reading previous chapters for clarity, I noticed how heart-wrenching & sad it is most of the time. Fawkes is officially the comedy prop…cuz I wuv him! Besides, knowing his fierce loyalty to Dumbledore, I'm sure he'd be pissed if something happened to his Master.)_


	15. Chapter 15

**(15) Time Squared**

_**12 years later**_

James shivered & pulled his Cloak more firmly around him. He stood by the beech tree near the lake at Hogwarts. It was late spring & the sun was burning brightly but today was unusually cold. He glanced back to the bridge. Though it was to far away to see, he knew that his wife was standing near there. James then glanced to the Forest & wondered if Padfoot survived his latest prank on their werewolf. James laughed. If only Remus knew that it had been his idea, not Padfoot's.

James & Sirius had charmed every flag & banner in Hogwarts to say 'Hogwarts Bachelor up for sale. Your dear Professor Remus J. Lupin awaits his match. 1000 Galleons … or best offer!" Naturally all the girls & even a few guys suddenly admitted their undying love for Hogwarts' favorite Dark Arts Professor. Naturally of course, James was no where in sight all of a sudden, letting Sirius take the heat for it.

Remus was currently dashing through the Forest, the great Grim ahead of him. Merlin he was fast in human form! Padfoot tripped & went spinning nose over tail down a hill. He landed with a loud splat in a stream. Perhaps it was fortunate since Remus had fired yet another hex at the black dog & only by tripping was Padfoot saved.

A look of pure murder flashed in his werewolf's eyes. Remus hated him. Sirius couldn't blame him.

Padfoot picked himself out of the water & ran again. He stayed in the stream, running along, following its course winding through the Dark Forest towards the lake. Remus skidded to a stop by the edge & glanced up & down but Padfoot was gone, black fur blended into the constant night that settled into the forest.

"Black?" Remus sniffed on both sides but couldn't pick up the scent. "If I see you again I'll kill you! You hear me? I'll bloody KILL you!"

Padfoot hurried on his way, ending up in a bog full of bloody hinkypunks! Fantastic. Padfoot sighed.

Remus huffed & turned back the way he had come. Sirius Black couldn't hide forever. He'll fix him. Hey. Good idea! Remus will literally FIX Sirius Padfoot Black! So there! The werewolf huffed & snorted, blowing air through his fangs as he came across the covered bridge. He cut through the small grove of trees to find a red-headed woman.

Lily turned to look at him. "Oh stop chuffing," She flicked his nose. "What else could you expect from Sirius?"

"I'm going to murder him."

"Later," Lily laughed. "James & I are going to the Great Hall to meet up with him for something. You can kill him after your next class."

"He's in the Great Hall?" Remus was sceptical. "Um, I just chased his sorry arse all through the Forest."

Lily shrugged, taking Remus by the arm to lead him to the castle. "He found a short way back."

"Or I went after the wrong one," Remus grumbled.

"No, Orion isn't here today," Lily said. "He's in France. Cherbourg really."

"In that case, he can move fast."

"When you want his hide, yes," Lily laughed, then shivered. "It's so cold today."

"I know," Remus nodded. The pair stopped in a garden of the entrance courtyard, watching the Stag come bounding up to them. He was hurrying up the hill from the direction of the boathouse. Lily suddenly shivered violently. Remus held her closer to keep her warm. After several minutes, James finally stood with them. "Well I better get ready for the next lesson," Remus began. "My students should be nearly finished Charms by n—why hello Padfoot," Remus cooed in a sickly sweet voice, grinning evilly. "How are you?" The black dog froze, locking eyes with Remus. "I thought you were in the Great Hall." Remus shrugged it off & headed on towards the door, Lily close behind. He'll deal with the sex addict later. "This isn't over!" Remus muttered to himself as he marched through the doors & headed for his classroom.

James huffed, trying to look as normal as possible. He had JUST told that Grim to stay out of sight & what does he do? Uh huh! Sits on his fat arse while Remus walks right by him. James sighed & went into the Great Hall where Lily & Sirius were.

"Merlin's Curse it's a cool day today," that other Sirius complained, pulling his Star Cloak a bit more closely around him. The cloak was faded at the moment for the daytime but it still offered some warmth

"I don't understand why it's so cold, what with all that sun out there," Lily agreed.

"Wait a minute," Sirius suddenly said. "Today's the day, isn't it Prongs?"

"What day?" Lily asked.

"The timelines merge!" Sirius snapped his fingers. "My Demented friends are out there, aren't they?"

"The Dementors!" Lily gasped, remembering what James had once told her. "Yes! Thank Merlin they can't get through to our side."

Sirius pulled out a Time-Turner hanging from his neck. "I better go."

"Good luck Padfoot," James said as Sirius ran out the door.

Sirius fled for Gryffindor Tower. He had to give Hermione back a Time-Turner before she noticed it was gone. The one he had wasn't the same one that Orion had broken. A few days before that fateful Halloween over a decade ago, James had given Sirius a small package with a letter.

_Dear Padfoot or America,_

_If things do indeed go wrong on Halloween, use this to kick my sorry arse in gear & get it together._

_The Memory Charm America put on the broken one has been transferred so give this to the girl instead._

_~Signed: Prongs_

The package had a new Time-Turner. Sirius guarded it with his life for many years. When Harry Potter went to Hogwarts for the first time, he finally got to meet the girl. A muggle born of a dentist family. (Remus was soon the main victim of the Granger family who developed a keen interest in his dental work.) It was only a matter of Time—tongue firmly in cheek—before that girl, Hermione Granger, would unwittingly save all their lives due to taking on more subjects in her third year than a normal thirteen year old girl—or boy—would do.

Sirius turned a corner so fast that he hopped sideways on one foot, then crashed headlong into two boys.

"Honestly Sirius! Are you trying to kill me?" Harry Potter snapped. "Fine Godfather you're turning out to be. Hang on, didn't you just trip me up back there down the hall?"

"_Désolé! Oui, oui (Sorry! Yes, yes)," _Sirius picked himself up then helped both Harry & Ron to their feet. Noticing Ron who wasn't as quite bilingual as the Marauders, he switched back to English while patting off his own robes. "I had to go back for something."

"We're looking for Hermione," Ron asked. "Have you seen her?"

"She's at Gryffindor Tower," Sirius said. "I'm going there now. I'll send her down."

"_Ah, merci (Oh, thanks),"_ said Harry. "You just saved us a trip...well, you know," He glared. "Sort of."

"I'll make it up to you later," Sirius winked. Then he was running away once more. Harry & Ron shook their heads & turned around, heading for the Dark Arts classroom.

Sirius fled up the stairs, actually jumping from one to another that had started to move. He swung over the edge for a moment & pulled himself up onto the actual staircase before it connected with another platform barely in Time. "Fortuna Major!"

"Sirius! You just went in. How'd you get out?"

"Someone left a broom on the roof," Sirius made up some story. "I flew it down & then came back. Fortuna Major!"

"At least you got rid of those ridiculous prison robes," the Fat Lady declared. "What a crazy prank!" She swung open.

Sirius dashed inside & then stopped short in shock. His eyes locked onto those of a semi transparent man. He was wearing prison robes. In an instant, he was gone. Sirius stepped forward slowly, staring at the place his Azkaban-traumatised self had stood a second before. He looked at Hermione passed out on her desk & put the Time-Turner by her hands.

Next moment, there was a crashing sound & his entire skeletal frame felt as if it had shifted from his body from the pain of being hit so hard. Sirius passed out in a crumpled pile on the floor by the wall all the way on the other side of the Common Room.

"He looks like he could use some Firewhiskey," James said. Why was his voice so distant?

"I reckon he won't be able to walk for a month after that blow," Remus said, also with a distant voice.

"Love his hair," Lily's faint voice added to the confusing fog.

Sirius opened his eyes a little. James, Remus & Lily stood on his left, looking down at him. On his right were Harry, Ron & Hermione.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked, pushing back some hair.

"Where...?" Sirius murmured.

"Hospital wing," Harry said. "Hermione was woken up by the sound of you hitting the opposite wall. We don't know who or what threw you over though."

"What did you do to your hair?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," said Sirius.

"You have a lot of grey & white in your hair," Remus said. "But I recall quite distinctly that you had a full head of raven black just this morning." He handed over a mirror.

Sirius took it & stared at his reflection. Sure enough his shoulder length hair, once as black as night, was now faded & streaked with grey. He put the mirror aside. "I had hoped…oh well. What's done is done."

The Marauders exchanged worried glances. James finally asked, "Um Padfoot? What's wrong?"

Sirius looked up at him. "Everything." He shrugged. "Yet nothing as well."

James smiled. "Sure thing Paddy-kins." He turned to Lily & Remus. "He must have really hit that wall hard."

"He punched a hole through it," Ron said. "They have to patch it up."

Sirius sighed heavily. "Did any of you have any migraines?"

"No," James said, surprised. "We're all fine. No migraines yet."

"There won't be any for you," Sirius said. "It's all done now."

"I hope so," Remus said. "That last one I had nearly killed me."

"How long was I out?" Sirius asked.

"Just a few hours," Lily said. "You look a little tired. Sleep it off. We'll come back later."

Sirius looked towards the window & saw that it was dark outside. "Alright, see you tomorrow."

Lily shooed all but Remus out. The werewolf insisted on staying & made himself comfortable in bed, snuggling up to the chest of his Grim. When they were alone at last, Remus asked, _"__Padfoot, __quel est le problème? (Padfoot, what's wrong)?"_

_"Demain (Tomorrow),"_ Sirius said. _"Rassembler la meute. Nous nous recontrerons dans la Cabane Hurlante (Gather the pack. We'll meet in the Shrieking Shack)."_

"_Bon, je vais aller à Londres__la première chose le matin (Alright, I'll go into London first thing in the morning),"_ Remus said. _"Je vais téléphoner à l'hôtel Orion est à Cherbourg et à l'amener à poutre au-dessus tout de suite (I'll phone the hotel Orion is at in Cherbourg & get him to beam over right away)."_

"_Vous n'avez pas à vous (You don't have to),"_ Sirius began. _"Il est déjà là (He's already here)."_

"Oh?" Remus raised his head to look down on Sirius. Even though it was dark, Moony's senses helped him to see clearly. _"Quand est-il arrivé ici (When did he get here)?"_

"_Il ya quelques heures (A few hours ago),"_ Sirius pressed the Wolf's head back down. _"Vous allez enfin obtenir toutes vos réponses que vous attendiez pour demain. Soit dit en passant, j'ai un peu une surprise pour vous (You will finally get all your answers you've been waiting for tomorrow. By the way, I have a bit of a surprise for you)."_

"_Laissez-moi deviner. Demain (Let me guess, tomorrow)."_

"_Ouais (Yep)."_

"_Tu suces (You suck)."_

"N'aimeriez-vous pas savoir (Wouldn't you like to know)?"

"_Hey j'ai gagné ce pari facilement (Hey I won that bet easily),"_ Remus defended. _"Ce n'est pas mon problème, vous êtes trop stupide pour aller à l'encontre de la grande Lily Evans-Potter (Not my problem you're too stupid to go against the great Lily Evans-Potter)."_

"_La Ferme (Shut up)!"_


	16. Chapter 16

**(16) Ocean Of Memories**

The next day was a dreary rainy Saturday. The Marauders Pack found themselves in the upper room of the Shrieking Shack, holding bottles of Butterbeer & passing around a bowl full of chocolates & other sweets. Sirius & Remus curled up at the head of the bed while Lily sat on the foot of it. James was sitting on the piano's bench while Harry was lying sprawled out in the middle of the bed & staring up at the ceiling.

Harry was in a daze. He had just finished listening to an epic tale of Time travelling, death & betrayal, all due to Hermione's Time-Turner. (So that's how she got around.) From the corner of his eye, he could just make out Sirius, resting his head on the werewolf's shoulder, his greying shoulder-length hair pulled over on one side to hang down.

"Harry?" Remus finally broke the awkward silence. "How are you?"

"Oh fantastic!" Harry said acerbically.

Remus cringed a little. The young Stag didn't seem to be taking this to well. "It is an amazing story, but it is the truth."

"You're asking me to believe that I almost grew up without any of you around," Harry said. "That Sirius was in Azkaban all these years, technically speaking, for stuff he never even did. How does one respond to that?"

"Just be glad you have a bookworm friend," James said, hitting a few notes. "Oof! This needs tuning! The power of Time itself is probably the most dangerous of all."

Harry sat up a little, leaning back on his hands. "Mum, how did you handle this when you first found out?"

"Oh I nearly killed your Dad," Lily laughed softly. "It took a while to sink in that he was telling the truth."

Harry re-arranged himself to sit cross-legged on the center of the bed. "It's a good thing you didn't," he suddenly started. "Otherwise I wouldn't have had baby twin sisters to annoy."

"We planned to have Edwina & Cordelia once Halloween of 1981 was past," James said.

"Too bad they're aren't starting school until next year," Remus put in. "I'd have loved taking a shot at actually teaching them. But I won't be here."

"What? You're not staying?" Harry looked horrified. "You're the best Professor we ever had!"

"_Merci Harry (Thanks Harry),"_ Remus began. "But Severus & I just can't get along. He let slip the fact that I'm a werewolf. The owls should soon be arriving. Parents won't want...well someone like me teaching their children. Let's just say I'm used to it."

"Or they'll all like you," Harry tried. "Hermione's parents do."

"They're muggles & aren't blinded by prejudiced knowledge of my kind," Remus said. "Plus being what they are, I'm something of a freak patient to them." He laughed, exposing his fangs.

"Fred & George won't like this," Harry said. "Not one bit!"

Remus scoffed. "I can't believe they found that map! It's a good thing to since Jim needed it yesterday. So he could find Orion in the other Time line."

"Speaking of which," James suddenly glanced around. "Um guys? Where's America?"

"Oh!" Remus gasped, eyebrows shooting up into his bangs. "I don't know. Sirius! We've all been up here for over two hours. We went ahead without him."

"No you didn't," Sirius said. "He's right here, don't worry."

"Where?" Remus asked.

"Right here," Sirius sat straight. "The Time lines are merged. We are all one now." He got off the bed & went to the window, staring out for a moment. "There were in fact, three Sirius Blacks in the world for one moment in time."

"WHAT?" Everyone exclaimed in one voice.

"The Sirius you all grew up with, unaffected by Azkaban," Sirius began. "Orion of course. But yesterday, Orion...of the present day...was in France while Sirius was in the Great Hall. Meanwhile, you Prongs, went down to the boat house & reached literally across Time to talk to the Sirius Orion there & convince him to jump. So three of us for one moment. The moment he jumped, he merely became Orion ...of the past."

"How do you figure that?" Remus stared incredulously at him. "You dare to call me mental? That's just insane!"

"Remember what I told you last night, Moony?" Sirius turned to look at him. "That Orion was already back. In fact, ALL the Sirius Blacks were back. That's why I was knocked out. The points in Time all finally merged into one. It pulled all my parts back together."

"That's impossible!" James stared.

"Is it?" Sirius transformed into Padfoot, barked, then transformed into America & screamed.

Remus stared agape. "No one! NO ONE! Can do more than one Animagic form! You'd have to give up your previous form. Once Orion showed us America, he was never Padfoot again."

"So explain what you just saw," Sirius folded his arms & waited.

Remus stared, looking more & more like a were-goldfish then a werewolf. After a few minutes of hard thinking, he threw his hands up in defeat. "I can't!"

"It's because I was actually doing two forms at the same time for many years straight," Sirius explained. "My younger self had the Padfoot form. My older self had the American one. When everything was finally merged yesterday, I knew both forms so well that I was able to keep both due to years of experience with them."

"Is that why you have grey hairs now?" Harry suddenly asked. "Your old self, Orion, has some grey in his. Not as much as you though."

"I think so yes," Sirius nodded. Then he sighed. "I had hoped that memories of Azkaban would be deleted with this final time shift. As it is, I retain memories from both sides & also...this." He bared his right shoulder & moved closer to the others to show them. Harry read off the numbers & the abbreviation.

Remus sighed & held out a hand to grab Sirius. He pulled the man back onto the bed. "I can't imagine having twelve years of hell in my head like that." Sirius turned his face away, shedding a few tears. Remus pulled out his wand. "Perhaps I can remove that tattoo."

"No," Sirius shook his head. "The mark of Azkaban is an actual curse put on you. It can not be removed."

Remus leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Sirius's back. "I can cut it off. It would hurt a moment, leave a scar that Pomfrey can get rid of."

"Nope," Sirius said. "I've already tried."

"PADFOOT AMERICA!" Remus looked up.

"It grows right back," Sirius scowled. "As you can see. I'm stuck with it. Forever." He glared at the floor & muttered a very bad word that made Lily glare & Harry smirk. Sirius soon went on. "Anyway, it's all done & over with now. We're all safe. That's what matters. I'm just a little tired now. That's Orion's side of things. He was never quite the same since Peter died. He told my younger self that he felt ripped apart. Now I understand the meaning since I'm all back in my own head again. I just don't get why."

James suddenly looked down at the broken piano keys. "What exactly did Orion say after killing Peter?"

"He felt ripped apart," Sirius said again. "You remember that day, right? You & Remus were both in the same bed at the hospital wing with Peter's body nearby & I suddenly ran out on you?"

"Yeah," Remus nodded. "You never told us where you went."

"I went to see him," Sirius said. "My old self under the bridge. He wasn't looking well at all & said that he felt he had been ripped apart."

A piano key snapped off & went skittering across the floor, making everyone jump & look around. _"Désolé (Sorry)," _James muttered.

"Anyway," Sirius sighed. "After Time merged into one again, I suddenly saw myself in three places: Cherbourg, Gryffindor Common Room of yesterday & Gryffindor Common Room of my own Seventh Year. It lasted a mere moment. Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital wing with everyone around me."

Remus lay down completely, stretching his long legs over Harry's (much to the young Stag's annoyance) & smiled softly at Sirius (after winking at Harry who was now forced to prise himself loose for the werewolf's amusement). "Well, I'm just glad it's all over."

Sirius sighed. "I only wished the jump would have destroyed certain memories from all of us."

Remus finally let Harry go by dangling his legs over the edge. He began playing with his wand, flinging it up to the ceiling so that it spun end over end. He caught it by the handle every time, like one who juggled with a knife. "It's over Sirius. You're out of that hell & have been for many years." He flicked his wand again.

James caught it. "Actually it isn't over."

"Ohh NOW what?" Remus, Sirius & Lily moaned.

"Moony, have you been having problems with this wand since Wormtail's Moon?"

"_Non (No)."_

"Has it behaved differently at all?"

"_Non (No)."_

James leaned in close so that they were nose to nose. "Are you sure?"

"Prongs what—" Remus shoved James out of his face. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's the core of your wand?" James tried another tactic.

"Oddly enough," Remus half-smiled a moment. "A silver unicorn's hair. Those unicorns actually grow real living silver."

James pulled out his own wand. "I'm going to do an X-ray spell on this wand. Tell me what you see." A 3-D image began to glow above the wand. "Does that look like unicorn hair? Of ANY color?"

Everyone stared at the image. It was blood red smoke moving back & forth from tip to handle & seemed to twist in on itself almost like the coils of a snake. "There's the hair," Remus pointed. Sure enough, the hair was dead center of the smoke, almost as if it was trapped inside it.

"Have you seen this smoke before?" James asked.

Remus shook his head. "Before we did our OWL's, I had my wand tested to make sure it was still good enough."

Sirius laughed. "You're as bad as Hermione! You were so scared you wouldn't pass. What if you couldn't get through all the exams? What if something was wrong with your wand? Really, Remus. The dumbest things you could come up with that couldn't possibly make you fail."

"A wrecked wand could make me fail," Remus huffed. "I had it checked to make sure. That red stuff wasn't there."

"Is this the same wand?" James asked.

"_Oui (Yes)."_

James then cancelled the spell & handed the wand to Sirius. "The same one you used to kill Peter?" Sirius inspected it, then handed it back to Remus, nodding. James swore profusely under breath.

"JAMES!" Lily screeched. "Not in front of Harry!"

"Really Mum?" Harry whined. "I've known those words since I was nine."

"JAMES!" Lily smacked him.

But James barely felt it. He was still glaring at Sirius. "I can't believe it! No wonder you're ripped up."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked.

"When you killed Peter, you created a Horcrux in Moony's wand."

"What's a Horcrux?" Sirius asked as Remus went deathly pale.

"An evil thing," Remus gasped & explained the dreaded magic.

Listening to it a second time, James couldn't help but feel sick. He kept glancing at Harry. That scar. Could it possibly be? He shook his head, refusing to believe his son was a walking Horcrux of the Dark Lord himself.

"But I never kn...oh Remus! I didn't do it on purpose!" Sirius gasped. "I didn't know."

"A Horcrux is made through murder," Remus repeated. "Gee, THANKS! Moron!" He held his wand in front of him & attempted to snap it in two. "I loved this wand! We've been through so much together!" At that, he gave a violent tug.

The wand stayed firm.

"One does not simply kill a Horcrux," James said. "I have no idea how, but you can't just crack it in two. I'll find a way." Remus growled. "Eh, eh! Don't growl! Or you won't get any chocolate for a month!"

The amber of Moony shone through Remus's hazel eyes. "Who's your Alpha?"

"I don't care! Bad Wolf. No chocolate. It's that simple!"

"Take it to Dumbledore," Sirius interrupted before Wolf & Stag became physical with each other (not like that either). "He might know." Remus hissed at him. "Don't hiss. I didn't know ok? Bite me."

"Bend over. I will."

"Professor Moony!" Harry gasped before turning away, snickering.

"I'm just saying," Remus snickered. "Didn't you have something for me?" He wisely changed the subject.

James folded his arms. "No chocolate." Remus ignored him.

Sirius glared at the Wolf before opening the small cupboard on the wall. He pulled down a large envelope. "Since I came together in the Gryffindor Common Room, I had to apparate back to Cherbourg to get this." He handed it over. "I found a box inside one of the steps at the roadstead that was built into Cherbourg's harbour. It's an old Time capsule."

Remus opened it up. Several pictures fell out & an old letter written in French. Remus stared "My God! There are pictures here that no one has ever seen. There's so few of her to begin with."

"This one in particular might be of interest to you," Sirius picked up one that had fallen to the floor. "See that lady there? Look familiar?"

Remus stared at the couple on the docks. "Nana! I can't...I mean, I knew she went aboard but...my family don't have any pictures of their honeymoon. It was all lost when they hit that iceberg!"

"Well now you have some pictures," Sirius smiled.

"These are really old," Harry looked at the other pictures. "Nice looking ship."

"It's the Titanic," Remus said, reading the letter to himself. It was a short love note from his grandfather to his grandmother, telling her of where he had picked their honeymoon & that he already had second-class tickets. "Mama's going to love this letter," He whispered to himself.

"Is Titanic still around?"

"Boy, don't you make me believe you never heard of Titanic!" Remus snapped, lowering the letter to glare.

"Um ...no. Should I?"

Remus gritted his fangs & let out a low growl. He launched into the full story. "My grandparents went on board in Cherbourg," Remus finished. "It was their honeymoon. Fortunately. It's the only reason I'm here today. Grandpa didn't survive. I never met him. Neither did Mama. After the Carpathia pulled in the survivors & took them to America, Nana found out a couple weeks later she was pregnant. With my mother. It's amazing how close I came to not being here really. You see, Nana did not get on board a lifeboat. She was stuck on Titanic right through its final moments when it split & stood on end. She was pulled out of the water later. It was so cold. It's amazing her developing foetus didn't die right there. Technically speaking, Mama is the youngest ever survivor of that disaster."

"They recently found the bow section a few years ago," Sirius pointed at another picture that was upside-down.

Remus turned it over. "Wow! Sweet Merlin have mercy!" He compared it to a surface picture of the ship. "It's really her." He stared a moment longer. "Sirius? Thank you for these. The Lupin family don't have much on this. These pictures are great. Especially that one with my grandparents on the roadstead there, with Titanic floating behind them. That's a new picture for us."

"No problem Moony."

They heard thumping up the stairs & suddenly Hermione & Ron came into view. Ron had a fat grey rat on his left shoulder. It was old now. His brother Percy had bought it at Diagon Alley several years ago. Being an actual magical rat, it could live longer than a common garden rat & it was very defensive of any Weasley currently owning it; though Crookshanks, being a cat, still liked to chase it senseless. It took Ron most of the year fighting with Hermione about it to get used to the idea that the cat wouldn't actually kill the rat, only play with it. The Marauding Pack tried hard to not think of how much Scabbers looked like Wormtail.

"Harry," Hermione began. "Dumbledore is looking for everyone here."

"He wants to talk to all of you," Ron added.

"That's our cue," Remus glared at his wand as he got up.

Harry suddenly asked, "Hermione, Ron. Have you ever heard about Titanic?"

"Of course," Hermione stared at him as if he was an idiot. "Who hasn't?"

Remus smiled as Harry glowered. "Hermione. Darling. Have I told you lately that you're my favorite student ever?"

"Darling?" Hermione glared. "I'm not falling for those banners Sirius did."

"Sure you're not," Remus grumbled. "Still my favorite student though."

"Ok creep factor officially in the red," Hermione headed downstairs amidst hysterical laughter from everyone but Remus.

"Bloody hell Harry!" Ron managed to say after he stopped laughing. "You've got to be completely mental if you never heard of Titanic before. Even in the Wizarding World, that ship is famous. Several sorcerers died on that ship. They stayed behind to help hold her up while she went under. It's partly the reason she took so long to sink, besides her design as well."

"_Merci Ron (Thanks Ron)," _Remus said. "You're officially my second-favorite student."

"Sure, but I'm not buying those banners Sirius did either," Ron stated matter-of-factly, earning more laughter as they headed down the tunnel.

"For the record, James helped," Sirius said, in case anyone heard or cared. No one seemed like they did.

_(... ... ... ... I'm so sorry. No not really. What? Oh come on! It could totally work, having a Lupin ancestor aboard Titanic! Shoot me!_

_Yes I made a 'Lord Of The Rings' reference...lots of Star Trek references to. So...so there! "pouts")_


	17. Chapter 17

(As per his review, Tez has now beta-d the English of this entire story. "smile" I have used google translate for the French & I'm hoping its France-like NOT Canadienne. However, I have recently landed upon a France beta writer here & will probably ask her advice later. Otherwise, this story is indeed complete!)

**(17) Farewell**

James stood silently at a single grave, a bouquet of twenty-four Sterling roses in his arms. He sighed heavily as he knelt down & laid them over the stone. "Well it's all over now," He began. "Dumbledore called us to his office yesterday. Sirius is officially free. We're all alive & well & Harry's got a great summer ahead of him. Let's see, what else. Oh yeah, Moony became an actual Professor at Hogwarts this past year. For the Dark Arts Defence. Guess what? Ol' Snivelus is a Professor there to! For Potions. I nearly died when I found that one out."

James laughed a bit before going on. "Moony only stayed one year. He doesn't want to work with Snivelus. Who does right? Harry—my son—wasn't too happy that Moony left. He said having Moony for a Professor was the best thing for his third year & having Sir Cardogan guarding Gryffindor Tower while the Fat Lady was being restored due to being ripped by Sirius leaving behind a stupid prank for Snivelus was the worst."

James stopped & looked around over his shoulders at the silent lonely cemetery. He looked back at the single grave in front of him. "I know it's been many years since I've come here. I've been really busy dealing with two Time zones. Long story. Tell you later. But now it's all merged into one again so ... yeah…anyway, I figured I should drop by & say hi."

James looked around again & saw an older woman coming up to him. He got to his feet. It took a moment but he suddenly recognised her. "Mrs. Pettigrew?"

She stared at him. "James? James Potter?"

"Yeah," James laughed sheepishly. "I thought I'd check up on Peter."

"I come here every year," Mrs. Pettigrew sighed. "He was all I ever had. I still don't know who killed him."

"It was...quite a shock," James looked at the ground, feeling guilty. He knew exactly who killed Peter & why. But perhaps it was better to let the mother live in Peter's innocence. What if Peter had grown up & gone to the Dark side? Mrs. Pettigrew would still be devastated. Either way, working against Time itself, the woman was left stranded.

Mrs. Pettigrew laid another bouquet, this made of a mix of daffodils, carnations & green ferns, next to his own. "I like to pass through on his birthday."

"I wonder why he didn't become a ghost?" James suddenly blurted out. He glanced around, wondering if he could find a hole to crawl into & die. "I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have..."

Mrs. Pettigrew actually laughed. "I've asked that question myself. Dumbledore said it's because he died quickly & innocently. He didn't have a care in the world & everything he needed, he had. There was nothing to tie him to this life."

"I see," James looked down at the stone. So that confirmed what he had always believed.

Mrs. Pettigrew put a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for stopping by. It was good to see you again." James nodded to her as she left. They had only met once before when Peter had invited them all over for a couple days during sixth year. But they had switched to Remus's home in France due to a Full Moon coming up.

"That was your Mum. She says hi," James knelt down again. "Padfoot accidently made a Horcrux out Moony's wand on your account. Dumbledore stabbed it with an old Basilisk fang yesterday, shattering the wand into millions of pieces. Moony's still grumbling about it. He's getting a new wand now. Oh yeah! They found Titanic! Remember when Remus mentioned back in school that he had family on that ship? Turns out he was right. He had no proof before now, not that we didn't believe him. But I mean, Sirius recently found some old pictures & even a letter of Moony's grandparents over in Cherbourg. Remus now has plenty of proof. So, yeah avoid him. He won't shut up about it for a while. Anyway," James sighed. "I really just wanted to say that the Marauders have finally finished their biggest prank ever. We're all ok now. I just wish that...I wish we could have saved you too."

He sat there silently for almost an hour. Where had everything gone so wrong so fast? James suddenly came to with a start. He had fallen asleep. Looking up, he saw Remus watching him. Lily was right behind him. "Oh I didn't mean to fall asleep out here!" James stood up fast. He noticed Sirius standing in the gate of the cemetery. Now that he was complete again, he carried memories of sheer hate for the man that had ruined everything. Sirius had never set foot in that cemetery again, saying he was now feeling to numb about it either way.

Remus held up his new wand. "It's Orion's really," he explained. "Since they're all one person again, Sirius doesn't need two wands. He kept his original one. I get the mermaid scale."

James laughed. "It all works out, doesn't it?"

Remus looked down on the grave of their fallen pack-mate. "Not all of it."

"Come on," Lily put a hand on Remus's back. "I've made some supper. Let's go eat."

"Dad! Move it or I'll starve!" Harry called out, standing 'dead' center of the cemetery.

"Sounds good," James led the way.

Remus stretched his arms over his head. "I've been looking into things since Sirius gave me that envelope yesterday. There's some guy in America, James Cameron. He's been diving down there several times. He wants to make a movie of Titanic."

James put a boot up on a stone cross marking the final resting place of some random skeleton. He tightened the clasp. "Oh that's bloody brilliant, Moony."

They moved on towards the gate. "More pieces have been found," Remus went on. "Of Titanic I mean. I wonder what the movie will be like?"

"Well, not to give you a spoiler or anything but," James began. "Dude! The ship sinks!" Remus scowled as Lily tried hard not to laugh. "I'm just sayin—OOF!" James tripped over a flat headstone & went sprawling forward onto the next one. He swore loudly, earning a kick from Lily.

"WOW!" Remus stared downward as Sirius finally did enter the cemetery. He ran over & held a hand for James. Remus brushed off James's shoulders, then patted his back. "Nice trip! See you next fall!"

Sirius, Lily, Harry & Remus all but 'died' laughing. James groaned, picked up his glasses & marched through the gate.

The Potter family led the way as Sirius fell in step with the Wolf. "How's the new wand?"

"Working fine."

They walked in an awkward silence for several minutes. "Moony I—" Sirius began same time Remus said, "Padfoot, we sh—"

Sirius sighed. "Sorry, you first."

Remus hesitated before finishing, "I think we need to have a talk. About you."

"Please don't hate me again," Sirius whispered. He paled, hoping the Wolf didn't hear it.

But Remus had. "I don't hate you. But the fact is, you still killed Wormtail."

"If I didn't ..." Sirius let it hang.

"I know," Remus stopped in front of someone's yard, outlined in tulips & daffodils. "I know the full story now. But how does one react to something like that? In my mind, Peter was a good friend yet we know an alternate side to him. He would have slaughtered us all. Really Sirius, how does one react to something like that?"

"I don't know," Sirius said. "You all know what he would have done had I not killed him."

"Think of it from our point of view," Remus turned to him. "We never met that Peter. All we have is your word. It's just hard to accept."

They stood in silence, watching a pair of dumbledores fighting over the same daffodil. One finally buzzed off angrily to go into a tulip. "Look at it this way," Sirius began. "Your memory of Peter is not tarnished like mine. Think of him the way he was. Sweet. Shy. Not of how he would have become. Traitor. Murderer. Death Eater."

"I do."

"Good," Sirius grabbed Remus's chin & forced eye contact, ignoring the golden flicker cross the Alpha werewolf's eyes. "but never ask me to visit his grave with you, please?" He was wise to turn it into a question.

"I won't."

The Canine Appeal stood staring at each other but seeing into the past for several minutes. Sirius leaned forward, rubbing his nose tip against his Alpha's. "I'm hungry. Race you!" He set off running.

"HEY! WHOA! HEY!" Remus spun on his heel & dashed after. "CHEATER!"

It was the end of the last year of peace. In Harry's fourth year, Voldemort rose again, his servant Barty Crouch Jr. by his side. A student was murdered & the Wizarding World was plunged into chaos which developed into all out war.

One pack-mate was lost a year later, sending the remaining Marauders, from the Alpha to the fawn, reeling with grief. So Time took the second Marauder once more.

Remus eventually found some solace in Nymphradora Tonks, a distant relative of Sirius & therefore James as well. Tonks had taken an interest in the stubborn werewolf & spent nearly a year chasing his sorry hide. She finally tricked him into a date, going to a muggle thing called a theatre for 'Titanic'. She had found a special preview of it in mid-June for the Wizarding World that a muggle-born witch had set up. Coming out she insisted the same idea Celine Dion sang about. Her heart would go on & on for Remus so he might as well shut up, suck up & marry her. So there! Remus had little choice but to oblige.

They came home from the theatre to tell the good news, only to be swept aside by the fantastic story that there had been murder in the ranks of the Hogwarts staff. The pair ended up having a quiet wedding that summer.

Instead of heading to school for Seventh Year with his little twin sisters (now in Fourth Year), Harry Potter … ... disappeared. So did his two friends, Ron & Hermione. Since the family owl herself had been killed earlier, James & Lily had no way of contacting Harry. They took off after their eldest son. There were sightings. Harry even saw Remus himself, but he didn't come home.

Remus returned to his pregnant wife one day to find the Stag in his own bed. James was unresponsive. Lily was dead. Remus stared at a spot on the opposite wall. Was he to lose everyone anyway, with or without Peter's help? He tossed his cloak & shirt aside & slipped under the covers next to the despairing Stag. James stared at a spot on the werewolf's breastbone where a deep old scar ran over the ridge of bone & crossing up towards the opposite shoulder. With one finger, James traced that scar & then another, trying not to think. His Doe was dead. Why was he even bothering to live?

So Time took the Marauder's wife once more.

Despite the fact, Harry Potter did not return. Did he even know his mother was dead? What the hell was he doing out there?

Remus joined an underground movement at the castle of horrors. With Snape in command, Hogwarts was more of a torture prison than old Azkaban was. Posing as Romulus (the name of a stillborn Siamese twin brother he had never mentioned), he kept an eye out for the wayward fawn.

Suddenly the message spread. Lightening had struck Hogwarts. It could only mean one thing.

Remus grabbed Harry the moment he entered the room & held on tight. "Harry ...your mother ..."

"I already know," Harry said. "How's Dad?"

"He has yet to speak," Remus hung his head. "It's been months."

"Dad's a shock-mute?"

"I'm doing everything I can," Remus sighed.

"I hate this," Harry shook his head. "It has to end soon. Voldemort's coming here."

"Once this mess is sorted, we'll take care of your Dad," Remus said.

Harry only stared at his Alpha. Sirius had once spoken of being a real family once the whole mess was taken care of. Sirius died. Harry nodded mutely, moving forward to his old Dumbledore's Army. His two sisters were there as well; being in Second Year when he had started the D.A., they had demanded to join. Harry was against it. Too young. They didn't care & after a torture session with Umbridge's blood quill on both of them, Harry had allowed them to join.

Harry's gut feeling was right. During the first half of a devastating battle on the grounds of Hogwarts itself, he lost several friends & family. Not only Remus but also Tonks was down.

So Time took the third Marauder & his wife also.

Ron also suffered loss. So did the Hogwarts staff.

Then at the top of the dais, Harry saw a great Stag. It transformed right there; though, considering how every last head was bowed in grief & all eyes around him were blocked with tears, it was unlikely anyone noticed an Unregistered Animagus walking among them. "Dad ..."

James headed straight for his son. "Harold! I ought to—" He suddenly noticed who Harry was standing next to. "... ... ... Moony?"

"You're speaking again," Harry said, pulling his father back. "That's good." He wondered if he spoke to soon, for James was staring—silently—at his fallen Wolf with his mate lying right next to him. "Dad."

"I had to see you," James whispered. He was silent again.

Harry noticed his two sisters standing on one side, looking as if they were ready to run over. He shook his head. Edwina, who inherited Lily's green eyes, grabbed her sister's hand. Cordelia put a hand to her mouth. She had the eyes of the Stag. It was the only difference between the girls. Cordelia couldn't move. Her father was here. Neither of them could believe it. Having an idea of the horror he had to do, Harry shook James, trying to turn him away from Remus & Tonks. "Dad? Dad!" James finally looked at him. "Take care of them," Harry pointed to the twins. "You must promise me that. Take care of them!"

James looked over his shoulder at the girls, both with hair that was a dark red, in-between what Lily had & black that he had. "With your help," James smiled at them, sad & forlorn, but smile he did.

"_Oui (Yes),"_ Harry promised, unable to bear telling his father exactly how he was going to help. He left that place & went up to Dumbledore's office. To the Pensieve. Afterwards, he wished he hadn't. Snape's memories not only confirmed what Harry already knew about himself, but also offered a very different view of the man he had so hated all these years. Harry found Hermione & Ron, still trying to wrap his mind around those Pensieve memories. He had to tell them at least.

Harry had to die. He left, heading into the Dark Forest. Using the Stone in the Snitch, he summoned a group of Phantoms. Sirius. Remus. Lily. He had to be sure. They spoke with him for a short time before fading away. Harry was in the process of dropping the Stone but noticed one more figure walking towards him. Severus Snape. He didn't speak, only looked Harry over. Then he smiled ever so softly & vanished. Harry sighed & moved forward.

Harry didn't know but he was repeating the Plan Of The Stag. He suddenly found himself in limbo with an old friend. Time laid claim to the last-standing Marauder's first fawn, but didn't keep him. Not yet. Next thing Harry knew, the mother of his second-worst enemy was suddenly covering for him.

Standing behind in the doorway, James watched the procession coming across the great stone bridge. He could dimly see Hagrid carrying something. Suddenly word spread through the crowd in the courtyard.

Harry Potter was dead.

James quickly turned away & transformed. Using his antlers, he herded his twins inside, both of which were crying for their brother. For some reason, James didn't feel grief or worry. He knew Harry had the Cloak. He knew Harry had the Snitch because of Dumbledore's will & therefore the Stone.

The Elder Wand.

Please! Merlin! Let him control the Elder Wand.

Lowering his forty-point spread threateningly, Prongs shoved the girls further inside the castle, away from their brother. Keeping his body in their way, he pricked his ears forward, listening. Only as Prongs could he hear so well.

Pandemonium broke loose outside. Another battle had ensued. Harry Potter himself suddenly ran by. "Prongs, get those girls out of here. Now!" he continued running without a backwards glance.

Prongs tossed his head, grinning. Once more the Deathly Hallows belonged to their rightful bloodlines. He knelt down, allowing the twins to climb on & then tried not to bound too much as he ran, carrying them away to safety.

Harry Potter soon ended the Second War as he had ended the First War. This time though, without Horcruxes, the Dark Lord was gone for good.

James found himself sitting on a lawn chair with white streamers floating above him. Flower petals lay everywhere as Harry & Ginny said their vows. James relived his own wedding with Lily. From that moment on, James began to fade inside. War over. His fawns safe.

But his pack was destroyed & his Doe was dead.

With the fawns growing up & making their own families, James felt he was no longer needed & after a short Time, when Ginny was pregnant with her first child, he lay down one last time, never to get up again.

Time had healed its tampered wounds, claiming the Marauders once more. Time—Death itself—embraced the fourth Marauder & released him from his misery.

Prongs was gone to join his Doe.

_~Finish_

_(First: link to "The Canine Appeal" picture is in my profile under "Prisoner Of Time' section. Go see it! 'nuff said. Yep! _

_Second: About Snape. Harry had four Phantoms with him but since James was still alive I decided to use Snape, due to their new-found respect for each other plus Snape's attraction to Lily. I'm honestly surprised he wasn't there in the books/movies._

_Third: Titanic actually had an early preview but in July for muggles. I put a magical one in June to suit the timing of this chapter.)_

_OK… wow. This is quite possibly the most morbid fanfic I've ever done! I have no idea what the hell happened with this one. When the idea first came to me, it certainly wasn't so depressing! Sorry about that. Wow!)_


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